Thursday, November 13, 2008

McCain Advisor a Hoax: Palin Still May Not Know Africa is Continent


According to The New York Times, one of the most blogged about tidbits leaked from the McCain campaign in the aftermath of the election was nothing more than a piece of an elaborate hoax. When FoxNews quoted an unnamed McCain advisor as stating that Palin did not know that Africa was a continent, the blogosphere exploded with bellowing laughter, and the traditional media followed suit. This blog took the bait as well.

On Monday, MSNBC's David Shuster revealed that the unnamed McCain advisor was none other than Martin Eisenstadt. Trouble is, Martin Eisenstadt doesn't exist.

Look, I'm not going to bore you with all the details (which you can read here), but this is awesome, hilarious and somewhat embarrassing. The guys who perpetrated this hoax created a fake think tank for "Eisenstadt" to work at as a senior fellow, the Harding Institute, created a blog for him to blog on, created youtube videos purporting to show him being interviewed on Iraqi tv, and the list goes on and on. This was elaborate. This was genius. And this was a load of bullshit. Well played.

***UPDATE*** In the most-meta moment we can recall, the hoaxy Martin Eisenstadt, who doesn't actually exist, claims on his blog that yesterday's expose in the NY Times (link above) was the actual hoax, perpetrated by the group Yes Men, who put out a very realistic uber-liberal faux NY Times from the future yesterday. To sum up, the hoax is suggesting that the hoax is reality and the real expose is the actual hoax. Get all that? Check it out here. See Valley Wag's take on the story here.

14 comments:

Defective Pants said...

Wait a second - maybe identifying "himself" as the fake source is part of the hoax! I need confirmation from FoxNews (God help me) that this guy was the source they relied on.

And another thing - Palin NEVER directly denied the allegation. She just called the source a jerk. This is crazysauce!

Pat Bateman said...

http://danquaylespotatoe.blogspot.com/2008/11/africa-country.html

Watch the associated video here. This is not a reporter claiming that he heard somewhere from someone. This is a reporter claiming FIRSTHAND knowledge from sources - sources that apparently did not exist. He even goes so far as to say the sources said the story was off the record until after the election.

Fox News has some explaining to do. This is not the end of this story.

Jack Knowledge said...

She did actually deny it pretty directly in her interview with Lauer yesterday. She said that she discussed Darfur, because Alaska invested in Sudan, and that she never ever had a conversation about whether Africa is a country or a continent. Did I just defend Sarah Palin? Gadzoooks!

Making matters worse, Defective Pants is awaiting (requiring!!) journalistic confirmation from Fox mutha effing News??? This is crazy sauce with extra cheese.

Anyone want to put an over-under on days before the Fox News guy who ran with this story gets canned? Alternatively, over-under on days before he is named Managing Editor?

Defective Pants said...

If part of the hoax was to make this reporter hold back the info until after the election in order to gain credibility as an inside source not seeking to damage the McCain campaign - that's pure genius.

Warm Apple Pie said...

You mean Carl Cameron, last bastion of ethical journalism at Fox? Um, no - his job is secure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huf-4XVUwkY

You mean Fox News? "An adjunct of the Republican Party" - Bernie Sanders.

BTW, tell the New York Times to get off its high horse. Mostly bloggers were misled? Please - this thing spread like wildfire through the MSM. How many times have the major networks and papers been duped? How many times have the major networks and papers been the last folks at the breaking news party hosted by bloggers like The Potatoe.

Why don't you veil you jabs, you dirty liberal rag.

Defective Pants said...

I missed the Lauer interview. Thanks for the info. But then again - why'd it take so long? If you notice, she's like George Costanza. She never has an appropriate answer the first time a question is asked. The jerk store called, and they're out of you!

Warm Apple Pie said...

Right, DP. She didn't actually rush to refute the story. Hell, I thought she almost conceded its veracity with that jumbled "well also there PERHAPS i didn't know that betcha."

I mean that prospect is scarier: Palin is such a ninny she muddles responses to false accusations, lying about things she did and didn't do.

"Governor Palin, is the sky blue?"

"Well, um, hmmm, it's got tbe about sky creation too though and perhaps, if I am so blessed, the sky should be blue also."

Warm Apple Pie said...

I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER forget Rich Lowry's "starburst" article for the National Review. Hahaha, the editor of one of the leading conservative "think" tanks goes ga-ga over Palin's aesthetic value during the debate. "And that smile!"

Relive it here:

"I'm sure I'm not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, "Hey, I think she just winked at me." And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can't be learned; it's either something you have or you don't, and man, she's got it."

Amazing, Lowry. More amazing that you were able to type that entire article with one hand.

Warm Apple Pie said...

Hey Jack: more "progression" for you from Greta Van suck-stren's interview:

VAN SUSTEREN: But I mean, it was fun for women. I mean, it was fun for women watching Senator Clinton. It was fun to — you know, for women to watch you, you know, because it is still — it's still a glass ceiling, you know, for women.

PALIN: Well, it is. And Greta, too, it was — you know, throughout my campaign also, man in America has so progressed. I mean, look at both tickets, the representation on both tickets, obvious progression there. But still, still that — kind of that double standard there with a female on the ticket. Hillary went through the same thing, of course. It shows us that we still have a bit further to go here until everyone is treated equally and not held to a different standard.

Jack Knowledge said...

"Greta van Suck-stren?" That's pretty good. I probably would have gone with "Greta van Startstruckstern" but it's no big deal.

That lantern-jawed banshee suckling at the teat of Palin's mush-mouthed tabernacle is living in her own fantasy world.

And the Most Metaphors In A Single Run-On Sentence Award goes to........

Jack Knowledge.

"Id like to thank the little people. Specifically, Poqueno Palin..."

Warm Apple Pie said...

Hahahaha - you had me at "lantern-jawed banshee."

She certainly is a rock-chinned Ohio douchebag.

Defective Pants said...

That sound you hear is me patting myself on the back.

Jack Knowledge said...

Is that what it is? I thought it was raw steak slapping into more raw steak.

Defective Pants said...

Can you think of a better way to slap yourself on the back?