The only reason the birthers might cause serious problems for the GOP is that the birthers are such obvious rubes. Apart from that, though, what will probably end up happening is that the GOP bigwigs will keep up with the doubletalk until a more exciting and ever so slightly more plausible nutty conspiracy theory comes along that the whole moron gang can cheerfully get behind and bray about endlessly, all family troubles in the past buried and forgotten.
That's about right. Once there's something just uncrazy enough for Politico to get behind, they'll all be one happy family again.