New York Times, “A Senior Fellow at the Institute of Nonexistence”:
It was among the juicier post-election recriminations: Fox News Channel quoted an unnamed McCain campaign figure as saying that Sarah Palin did not know that Africa was a continent.
Who would say such a thing? On Monday the answer popped up on a blog and popped out of the mouth of David Shuster, an MSNBC anchor. “Turns out it was Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser, who has come forward today to identify himself as the source of the leaks,†Mr. Shuster said.
Trouble is, Martin Eisenstadt doesn’t exist. His blog does, but it’s a put-on. The think tank where he is a senior fellow  the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy  is just a Web site. The TV clips of him on YouTube are fakes.
And the claim of credit for the Africa anecdote is just the latest ruse by Eisenstadt, who turns out to be a very elaborate hoax that has been going on for months. MSNBC, which quickly corrected the mistake, has plenty of company in being taken in by an Eisenstadt hoax, including The New Republic and The Los Angeles Times.
Now a pair of obscure filmmakers say they created Martin Eisenstadt to help them pitch a TV show based on the character. But under the circumstances, why should anyone believe a word they say?
“That’s a really good question,†one of the two, Eitan Gorlin, said with a laugh.
(For what it’s worth, another reporter for The New York Times is an acquaintance of Mr. Gorlin and vouches for his identity, and Mr. Gorlin is indeed “Mr. Eisenstadt†in those videos. He and his partner in deception, Dan Mirvish, have entries on the Internet Movie Database, imdb.com. But still. …)
The pranksters behind Eisenstadt acknowledge that he was not, through them, the anonymous source of the Palin leak. He just claimed falsely that he was the leaker–and they say they have no reason to cast doubt on the original story. For its part, Fox News Channel continues to stand behind its story.
Mr. Gorlin and Mr. Mirvish say the blame lies not with them but with shoddiness in the traditional news media and especially the blogosphere.
“With the 24-hour news cycle they rush into anything they can find,†said Mr. Mirvish, 40.
Mr. Gorlin, 39, argued that Eisenstadt was no more of a joke than half the bloggers or political commentators on the Internet or television.
An MSNBC spokesman, Jeremy Gaines, explained the network’s misstep by saying someone in the newsroom received the Palin item in an e-mail message from a colleague and assumed it had been checked out. “It had not been vetted,†he said. “It should not have made air.â€Â
But most of Eisenstadt’s victims have been bloggers, a reflection of the sloppy speed at which any tidbit, no matter how specious, can bounce around the Internet. And they fell for the fake material despite ample warnings online about Eisenstadt, including the work of one blogger who spent months chasing the illusion around cyberspace, trying to debunk it.
Of course, most bloggers aren’t “reporters,” so there’s that distinction — the obvious counter being that most reporters, particularly those working for MSNBC, aren’t reporters, either, but at least they have the luxury of editors and fact checkers, supposedly. Plus, what affiliation, politically speaking, does this mass of duped bloggers lay claim to, do you think? The Times leaves that out.
Interestingly, the leftwing blogosphere (and many country club Republicans) have taken from this hoax the important fact that the Eisenstadt fakery doesn’t disprove the original anonymous leak about Gov Palin’s supposedly not know Africa to be a continent (Keyna name me a country in Africa, Sarah? C’mon, dear. Kenya?); in essence, having be duped by the “McCain insider’s corroboration,” they are doubling down that the original is not the silly smear of some bitter communication staffer, but rather the forthright anonymous truth telling of some brave Mavericksketeer (who doesn’t wish to be identified. Because of the bravery. And Maverickyness).
Which is to say, to these bloggers and pundits, the story here is not that a MSM outlet and a number of their own ranks were fooled by a couple of guys who invented a non-existent personage from a non-existent think tank to lend gravitas to a story that has yet to be proven true, but rather that their having been made to look like gullible jackals is secondary to there being no clear cut evidence that some anonymous leaker feuding with the Palin camp has yet to be proven false.
Not quite the same mechanism for fact-finding these folks hold the rightwing blogosphere to, I’d venture.
For its part, FOXNews — Carl Cameron, Chris Wallace, Shep (THERE IS NO MEDIA BIAS, YOU STUPID RIGHTWING LOUTS!) Smith — is sticking by its original story and protecting its original unnamed source. Which makes me wonder if this is all part of some ploy to retain access to Obama once he begins picking and choosing what “media” is worthy of promulgating the message of Hope and Change.
Which, speaking of hope and change, Ben Smith, the Politico:
Mocking Sarah Palin has become a bit of a cottage industry, but it does seem worth pausing to doubt the quality of the information at this point. Some of the details in the damaging Newsweek narrative of her candidacy were obviously false — notably, the claim that she refused to stand on stage with “pro-choice” John Sununu, who is pro-life — and make me a bit nervous about a lot of the blindly sourced details about her.
When I spoke to people loyal to her a week before the election, they told me they were defending her pre-emptively because “these people are going to try and shred her after the campaign to divert blame from themselves.” There does seem to be something to that.
In any case, she has now moved into that incredibly dangerous political territory when people will believe anything about her.
More earnest circumspection from the “serious” left-leaning pundits to come, I imagine — long after it does any good to anyone besides themselves.
Funny how that works.
Gee, wasn’t access the reason CNN gave for lying about Saddam for years? Couldn’t possibly be that this is standard MSM behavior when dealing with thuggish dictators? After all, what would that say about the One?
I believe Smith meant to say “that incredibly dangerous political territory when some craven, agenda-driven people will believe anything about her, and maliciously promulgate said lies.
Just offering some editing, gratis.
Saddam Hussein, Barack Hussein, not a dime’s worth of difference in motive, just in opportunity.
I’m pitching a television show where some incredibly astute but neurotic NYC journalist pisses off his editor and is sent packing to a small town in Alaska, where the alternate reality of the locals practically destroys his sanity. He’s going to fall in love with a bush-pilot girl and there will be a taciturn native woman whose monosyllabic tendencies drive him around the bend. It will turn out that in many ways the locals are much saner than he.
Another “fake but accurate” moment for the mainstream media?
Dan #4: Surely you will get some northern exposure for that one, with the popularity of the Alaska Governor and all. What is the working title for the show you’re pitching?
Iliad II, 244…270 (Lattimore)
KJV, the First Letter of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth, called “First Corinthians”:
13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Not a lot of charity visible… lots of childish things, though.
Regards,
Ric
Loren, the working title is Gulag Archipelago, but people tell me that one’s taken.
Nothing works quite like hard-headed charitas in a prisoner’s dilemma.
So who will play, the gruff yet lovable older man married to the sweet, very hot, much younger woman who inexplicably is head over heels in love with him, because they are what sells the show.
Fred, of course!
Regards,
Ric
I notice that the lunacy of the Left-wing sites (Kos, DU, Huffpo) is used to smear all the internet blogs. Moral equivalence, now for the internet too.
Newt Gingrich.
Oh, okay–Fred it is.
Ah, so that’s why I supported him.
Wilford Brimley.
BTW, how can one shrink something it doesn’t have?
But most of Eisenstadt’s victims have been
bloggersmedia outlets, a reflection of the sloppy speed at which any tidbit about a Republican, no matter how specious, can bounce around the Internet.These guys really do need an editor.
but it does seem worth pausing to doubt the quality of the information at this point
I called it garbage right from the beginning, Ben – no need to even visit the “official” recycle bins. Trash is trash.
I should update my little movie. I think I’m too lazy, though.
Much like the CNN report from the anonymous governor complaining about Gov.Palin at the recent conference.
Like that? Anonymous elected official complains about named elected official? How is the accuracy or seriousness of the complaint to be judged? Why would this governor remain anonymous? What fear could he have from Gov. Palin? Fear that she will upset his run in 2012?
How does it feel to be a political hatchet-man, CNN?
Appropriately, I am hearing ‘Dirty Laundry’ right now. “we love to cut you down to size…” “We can do inneuendo, we can dance and sing…”
In any case, she has now moved into that incredibly dangerous political territory when people will believe anything about her.
I guess Journalism is when you don’t have a waste basket, eh, Ben.
Mikey,
Don Henley’s politics may be Hollyweird moonbat, but he’s right about the Media.
Once people are done with the recriminations, it will be a lot harder to stick anything on her, after this mistreatment, I think.
Because the longer this continues, the worse it does for the reputation of those that spread it, and the better it does for her.
Nothing succeeds like excess.
don’t blame me-i voted for max headroom
I figured that “Africa” slur on Governor Palin was boosted from a Drew Carey moment when he referred to the “country” of Africa and Wayne Brady kept repeating “continent, continent.”
ill take a small victory lap. I posted here a week and change ago and said that having worked with both Carl Cameron and Shepard Smith, I was confident that the Palin horseshit they were peddling did not receive 43 seconds worth of verification effort. to be fair, 43 seconds is more than most Fox News stories recieves; and more, apparently than ANYTHING has ever gotten on MSNBC. Except for that “To Catch A Predator” stuff.
I do have to note that everyone here also called this story as BS, without having to work with those 2 dicks.
I do have to note that everyone here also called this story as BS, without having to work with those 2 dicks.
If it fits a meme too well, don’t wear it. Same went for the Duke “rape” case, and right from the beginning.
This is all smoke and mirrors and misdirection. the RINO faction of the party has had de facto control of the legislature for about 10 years now. The Main Street group has hand a hand in judges appointments, immigration debates, medicare prescriptions, Campaign Finance Reform and other issues. they would continue to like conservatives to believe that Social conservatives, embodied by the hick trailer trash breeder Palin, have caused moderates to run screaming to the warm arms of Democrat progressives. they would like to see the party transformed into “Democrat Lite” (as ric noted in my earlier post) that will accomplish the new political reality of more government programs and intervention, but cheaper!
Choose your title but “Compassionate Conservatism” fits the bill, especially of the Huckabeee brand, designed to appeal to both RINO’s and the fundamentalist Godbotherers. Lost in this vacuous exercise are the core principles of individual liberty, fiscal restraint, lower taxes and ethics in office. It is a sham and a lie and Palin is the convenient Pinata. Not even lip service, it seems.
How far the mighty mice have fallen.
McCain and the Main Street crowd lost this election, not only in their inept fluffy campaign but also in mismanagement of both the Executive and Legislative branches over the last eight years.