Sarah Palin Africa Story a Hoax
Martin Eisenstadt is the creation of a couple of film makers who also created a fake think tank for their creation to work for, the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy. There are also some clips of "Martin Eisenstadt" on Youtube and a blog which are also faked. The film makers claim that they created "Martin Eisenstadt" as a character for a proposed TV series.
Why did the story that Sarah Palin didn't know that Africa was a continent gain such credibility in the media? Part of the reason is that the Internet tends to magnify the old saying by Mark Twain that by the time the truth puts on its shoes, a lie can travel half way around the world. The Internet is the perfect vehicle for spreading rumor and innuendo.
The other reason is that people in the mainstream media are quite willing to believe any story that suggest that a prominent conservative is a dimwit. It is no accident that the story of Sarah Palin and Africa started at MSNBC, a network that actually works at liberal bias rather than having it come naturally. But the story spread and was reported as fact across the media, newspapers, TV, and even talk radio.
President Ronald Reagan, who brought down the Soviet Empire with hardly a shot fired, was considered an "amiable dunce." George W. Bush, who has fought the War on Terror effectively and presided over an economic boom that only ended with the credit crisis brought on by Democrats, has been depicted as a dimwit frat boy, even in movies like W. So naturally if a conservative governor of Alaska is thought to be ignorant of the basic facts of geography, then it must be true.
What is Sarah Palin anyway? She did not go to the right schools. She did not go to the right cocktail parties. She did not hobnob with the right people. Of course she is some kind of country bumpkin who doesn't know Africa is a continent.
The story about Sarah Palin and Africa reminds one of the memogate scandal that brought down Dan Rather. Dan Rather and his producer got a hold of a memo they thought had been written in the 1970s that proved that George W. Bush got a slot in the Texas Air National Guard through undue influence. The problem was that the memo had been printed in a font that did not exist until the age of computerized word processing and laser printers. Rather and his producers would have known this had they checked, but they were so eager for the story of Bushian perfidy to be true, they ran with the story anyway. Sharp eyed bloggers noted and reported on the suspicious font. The memo was proven to be a fake. Rather was forced to retire in disgrace and his producer was fired.
The effect of the Sarah Palin Africa hoax is that some journalists will be briefly embarrassed, at least until the next bogus story about Republican idiocy and/or perfidy. Someone might even be quietly let go. But the culture that permits such thing to happen will, sadly, go on.
Source: A Senior Fellow at the Institute of Nonexistence, Richard Perez-Pena, The New York Times, November 12th, 2008
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
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21 Comments
Post a CommentIt's funny...Liberals usually insist Fox News is nothing more than a propaganda mouthpiece for the right-wing. But when the same network puts forth the "Palin thinks Africa is a country" story, it's suddenly gospel truth.
Anything to help perpetuate that world view of theirs, I guess...
She is smart, classy and a Christian, that's what so many are afraid of.
The story that Governor Sarah Palin did not know that Africa is a continent appears to have been a hoax. What's more, the alleged source of the hoax, a "senior McCain advisor" named Martin Eisenstadt does not exist.
Bet allthose blogs didn't correct it either....like so many still beleive Sarah said she could see Russia from her house, when she never did, It was snl Tina, Sarah said you can see the land at one point in A/which you can.
Sure she is being scrutinized... they should have done so to O!!! BB
I agree with Ted. Never was all that impressed with this lady.
Defend her all you like, but there's a reason why the RGA turned away from her last week. Her insipid pandering to the lower trailer trash skulkers in the Republican base is not conservative; it's fascist. Her obeisance to Dubya during her speech at the conference only proves her idiocy. The woman never met a cliche she didn't like. And she didn't miss not one of her perky jingoisms while talking to Wolf, Matt, Larry, or Greta, by golly gosh darn it ! Somebody "call an audible" and tell her to go into public radio. Wonder how much Limbaugh will love her when she starts taking part of his market?
actually your wrong mark. the africa story has not been proven to be a hoax. only the person who later stepped forward to claim responsibility for the story was found to be a hoax. the people who invented Martin Eisenstadt did not start the africa story, they just took credit for it later. it still not known who the real source actually was, or if the story is true or false
also remember she said that the africa thing ws taken out of context, so although she may have known africa was a continent, there must be some validity to how the story came about.
anyway the scary thing is that it was believable. if the story had been that mccain, obama, nader, biden or anyone else didnt know africa was a continent then the story would have been laughed at and would have never made the news. but because palin had showed such a profound degree of ignorance throughout the campaign, it was believable.
Mark, is it just me or does it seem these "inclusive ones" are the most hateful, rumor mongering of all those among us? Jus' asking . . .
Actually, "Are", Stephen Biegun, the Bush aid who briefed Sarah Palin on foreign policy matters, confirms that the Africa and the NAFTA stories are bogus.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YWViMjhiZjI4ODlkZjg0NDg5MTJmNmIwYmFiNDRmNWU=
To be sure, Allahpundit over at Hotair suggests that Carl Cameron had other sources for the story, but still got it wrong.
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/08/politico-mccain-staffers-starting-to-rally-to-palins-defense/
"Are", you should really do you own homework before handing out advice to others.
What a shame that you failed to do your homework. Its not a good idea to profess journalism and then pound out misinformation. The hoax was the guy who claimed to have discovered this little tidbit. The tidbit itself was real. Shame on you.
The New York Times story that is referenced here suggested that the story originated with MSNBC. We're trying to find out when that network and Fox first aired it. If Fox aired it first, presumably having fallen for the same hoax, we of course regret the error.
Sure she is being scrutinized... I think scrutiny is fine for a unknown governor proposed as candidate for the highest office. And its not the press's fault that the qualities she overwhelmingly projects are just her personality and good looks. If she wanted news to be centered around what she knew... there was nothing there. She didnt know anything and she still doesnt. Nobody is gunning after her because she didnt get schooled in Harvard but her basic knowledge of civics (she got the VP job description wrong) and finance (bail out responses even now to Matt Lauer) are below par. She doesnt seem genuine and knowledgeable.. that is the only reason independents went for Obama overwhelmingly. Even women! I think she and all who support her should look at facts and figures post election.