The NYT story on the guy who deserves as much credit as anybody for the Obama-is-a-secret-Muslim story is fascinating reading. One thing I find personally intriguing, odd, perplexing, whatever, is how little of this stuff actually makes its way to my email box (this is not a solicitation for more salacious email!). I often hear about internet hoaxes, outrageous email campaigns, etc. Sometimes I get those emails earlier than most. But just as often I don’t hear about them until I read about them in the newspaper or see a story about them on TV. You would think that I’m clued-in to enough rightwingers (these days, I get hundreds of emails every day from conservatives of one stripe or tribe) that I would be ahead of the curve on almost all this stuff. It just shows you what a huge, whacky, wild world the world wide web is.
Update: From a reader:
Hi Jonah,
My guess is if you turn off your spam filter, along with the Nigerian get-rich-quick and penis enlargement messages, you would be getting the underground political stuff too. So, with a little work on your filter, you could end up (more?) well endowed in multiple ways AND knowledgeable of the latest political intrigue to boot.
Update II: I should add, even if it gets me crosswise with the folks at Fox, that Hannity shouldn’t have ever had this Martin guy on their air. Ever.
Update III: From a reader:
Dear Jonah,
I’m sure that many others have commented to you on the obvious point that the NY
Times has now devoted more column space and more investigative research
resources to this Andy Martin guy in one week than they have on Barack Obama for
two years. It’s nice to know that Martin is a crackpot. I mean, WHEW!, to
think I was about to vote for him for President. I’m glad that the Times is
looking out for us, I’d hate to think the devastation that this guy could wreak
on our economy and foreign policy.
I guess I can’t blame the Times for not investigating Obama, though. I mean
they are kept so busy with Andy Martin and crazy lunatics at Republican rallies
that calmly voice concern about an Obama presidency. I mean they have a finite
amount of investigative resources – can’t waste them on a barely known
presidential candidate with criminal, racist, radical, terrorist associates.
That would be sheer madness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!