Fake Obama Thesis Story Goes Viral, Because Of Stupidity

Okay, let's get you up to speed on the incredibly true story about how a bunch of right-wingers got taken in by some satiric blog post on Barack Obama's college thesis, written ages ago, and frantically presented it as real.

Months ago, some blogger crafted a fake news story about how Time Magazine's Joe Klein had obtained ten pages of a thesis written by Barack Obama, in which he wrote about how the Constitution was "inherently flawed."

In the paper, in which only the first ten pages were given to the general media, Obama decries the plight of the poor: "I see poverty in every place I walk. In Los Angeles and New York, the poor reach to me with bleary eyes and all I can do is sigh."

In part, the future President blames this on the current economic system: "There are many who will defend the 'free market.' But who will defend the single mother of four working three jobs. When a system is allowed to be free at the expense of its citizens, then it is tyranny."

However, the President also singled out the American Constitution: "... the Constitution allows for many things, but what it does not allow is the most revealing. The so-called Founders did not allow for economic freedom. While political freedom is supposedly a cornerstone of the document, the distribution of wealth is not even mentioned. While many believed that the new Constitution gave them liberty, it instead fitted them with the shackles of hypocrisy."

Now, I don't see a whole lot in there about the "the evolution of the arms reduction negotiations between the Soviet Union and the United States," which is what he actually wrote about for Columbia, which should have been the first clue that this was a satire. ALSO HELPFUL: the tag on the satiric blog post, which reads, and I quote, "SATIRE."

Did you hear the one about Kanye West attributing his outburst at the VMAs to a gluten overdose? No, because apparently that critical news story was vetted by professionals, not Rush Limbaugh and Michael Ledeen, who beef-farted this false Obama thesis story all over the radio and the blogosphere today.

Eventually, Joe Klein caught wind of the thesis that people were saying he had read and penned a post at Swampland, saying that it was "nonsense."

A report is circulating among the wingnuts that I had a peek at Barack Obama's senior thesis. It is completely false. I've never seen Obama's thesis. I have no idea where this report comes from--but I can assure you that it's complete nonsense.

Ledeen had to eventually apologize for the misinformation, telling his readers, "Joe Klein has said that he never read any part of an Obama 'thesis' from his Columbia days, and that's conclusive, as far as I'm concerned." Charitable! The Washington Independent's Dave Weigel says that Limbaugh "discovered the hoax midway through the show, and used what used to be known as the "fake but accurate" defense.

So, hey, that right-wing reportage infrastructure is in great shape, I guess!

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Comments

[speechteach]

Apparently Glenn Beck has jumped once again on the "distribution of wealth" topic. Today he commented about a quote from Obama's first book, "Dreams from My Father", in which Obama lists the variety of people he hung out with. Then Beck asked how many of his viewers hung out with such types and said he certainly didn't while in college. I checked with Wikipedia, and Beck quit college after taking one class! What a lying hypocrite!! It's too bad his viewers take him at his word and don't question a thing he says.

[MJHammonds]

I'm guessing this was on a radio broadcast (kudos to you for having the stomach to listen), but if you have a link to this particular story I would love to see it so I can see exactly "what type of people" Rush is referring to.
Unlike Rush, I actually finished my undergraduate studies, and lord knows I hung out with a wide variety of people. I'm a few years younger than Obama, so I'm intrigued...I guess I should read his book. Thanks for the reminder.

[goodpyr]

By the Way Wushie, Did you make your "Public appology" to Rev. Sharpton already?
I was out of town.Sorry I missed it.LOL

[lldem1]

I wonder how many people who believed the fake Bush documents showcased by Grand Loser Dan Rather believed this rubbish?

[CommonSenseMom]

The Ditto King is a high paid actor. He knows that the more outrageous the lie, the more paranoid and hate-filled the story the more money he will make. Limbaugh may only have a high school diploma but he is smart as a fox. He picked the least educated and most fearful group of Americans and started singing their tune and stroking their ego's. And they in turn have made him a multi millionaire and the unofficial party leader.

Limbaugh know exactly what he is doing and he is LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK.

Uneducated Republicans are the most gullible and fearful group of people in America and he knows it. Fear sells.

[Tiff1977]

Limabugh is all about money money money.....

His latest vanture? He wants to buy NFL team the St. Louis Rams.... But on many occasions he has said that professional athletes are not worth anything and he has made racial slures directed toward them also...

[MJHammonds]

Best case scenario....Rush buys the team and rides on the team bus, which is, unfortunately for him, desegregat­ed....LOL!

[Which]

This

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19247833/Regent-University-Thesis-Of-Bob-McDonnell

however, is a real thesis, written at age 34 when a graduate student at Regent University, then known as the Christian Broadcast Network University (oooh! gaudeamus igatur!), by current Republican candidate for Virginia Governor. Read it and gasp.

Oh, and by the way, his record in the Virginia Legislature is consistent with the game plan he outlined in the thesis -- which he now claims was a "student paper" of no consequence. (Were YOU that much of a clueless jerk when you were 34, with degrees from Nore Dame and Boston University already under your belt? Probably not. And neither was he. He knew exactly what he was about.

And he's winning.

[CommonSenseMom]

It is sad. Deeds needs serious work on his image, he presents himself as a hick. His speeches are disorganized, his grammar is atrocious. He appears afraid to embrace Barack Obama...possibly because he grew up in the back woods of Bath county and he knows his red+neck supporters will turn on him? Who knows.

I think McDonnel would set Virginia way behind but if he wins I can see why. Deeds has made major mistakes in his campaign.

[MJHammonds]

As a Virginian, I will vote regardless for Deeds.

[kpmclean]

Rush bend over and grab your ankles! You've been PUNK'D!

[lldem1]

and say hello to dan rather while you're down there.

[GHARDY]

You are really amusing, just keep plugging away.

[pfc1369]

I like Limbaugh's take on the matter.

Now, the next step can be:

"Here's the news of the day.

None of this actually happened, but by god it may have, and as a matter of fact, it might as well have!"

[JenMI]

Be a man, apologize, retract and move on. This is just another example of this man's character and integrity..the man who always harps on character but has absolutely none.

[BeachBubbaTex]

Good call. I tend to think this is the real insidiousness of Limbaugh and the rest: the idea that one political ideology is infallible... that it can never ere or can never cause others to ere.

The greatest leaders are always those (like TR wrote) who dare greatly even if they fail...

[tbonehead]

Listen to Slobber Radio and you get SLOBBER!!!! What else???

[lldem1]

so would CBS be considered slobber TV?

[GHARDY]

That's it, The little engine that could.

[zann]

You should check out the fake thesis. Its not clever or funny and it doesn't even grind an axe. What was this lazy writer thinking?

[ghee99]

rush is no longer overweight

why do they always show the pic that accompanies all stories on this man with an old and inaccurate picture?

i was just curious

[jhm5th]

No longer overweight? Not if he's 7'-6" tall, I guess . . .

[westportmike]

He gained most of it back and then some.

[pfc1369]

Keep up.

He is already growing his fat back, as always.

This is important stuff.

[ghee99]

um...

do you follow the news,
he was just on leno, and not fat at all

and certainly not growing his fat back

i am not saying this to defend rush in any way,
its just that i have come to trust THPs accuracy (and fairness)
in reporting,
so this just seems like an old trick,
show some who has changed with an old, inaccurate picture from their
past
...when they looked their worst

there are enough things to go after rush on legitimately,
without having to try to smear him by implying that he is fat through outdated pics

i feel to do so just weaken the legitimate arguments that follow,
and makes THP seem like less of a balanced news reporting website
and more like a loopy-loon site (which it isn't)

i trust THP for its fairness, and truth,
and can forgive this one "blip"
it just disappoints me every time i see this distortion

[BeachBubbaTex]

If he has lost a lot of weight then they're doing it because THP thinks obesity and Limbaugh fit together. Interesting question.

[MichaelMcKLA]

Ugh. Go away, Rush.

[Citizen-Jane]

LOL. Water please to help wash down foot in mouth for the Rushter -* make that Rush-to.

Take your time.

.

[johnsonc20]

What do you expect? Their hero is Ronald Reagan, who is famous for asserting that trees cause pollution, among other interesting tidbits he picked up reading "Reader's Digest."

[MichaelMcKLA]

I believe it was also during the Reagan administration that, ummmm, "cow gas" was determined to be a major cause of global warming.

[pfc1369]

Reagan also opined that ketchup counted as a vegetable in the school lunch program.

[Diogenes08]

And that the homeless "enjoy camping out"!

[ProudMilVet]

He got his wish ! ! LOL ! !