The Lion and Gun

The Unreason of Reasonable People

'My husband and I know that there is no law that will stop him from becoming the president, just because some American white racists are bringing up the issue of my husband’s adoption by His step father. . . . [E]ven if my husband was able to prove that he is not a Muslim, he will not be believed by those who have come out strongly to destroy his chances of being the next President. Do real people expect someone to deny a religion when 80 percent of his relatives are Muslims?'

API stands for African Press International, which sounds like a wire service and claims to be a 'Daily Online News Channel' but looks like an in-my-mother's-basement blog. They claim that Michelle Obama called on the telefon [sic] to scold them for criticizing the Dem Presidential candidate and encourage them to 'write a good story about her husband and that will earn API an invitation to the innoguration ceremony.' So who would believe such nonsense? Not real reporters. One would have to be profoundly -- or willfully -- stupid.

Here's the 'idiot list' so far. Let us know in the comments if we've missed any:

Newsbusters
Gateway Pundit
Atlas Shrugs -- story since removed
Confederate Yankee
Texas Darlin'
Wake Up America
Jim Treacher
Israpundit
Hillbuzz

Some of these people might genuinely be stupid -- presumably they've lost a lot of money to Nigerian diplomats over the years. But I'm sure many of them are reasonable enough to understand that the wife of a Presidential candidate in an extraordinarily tightly-run campaign already dealing with rumors about his 'otherness' would probably not phone obscure bloggers somewhere in Africa to complain about their coverage. These hacks feign credulity, or maybe they've convinced themselves that they really do believe, and either way I think this is all of a part with the recent character attacks against Obama. Does any thoughtful and knowledgeable person really believe Obama is pro-terrorist and anti-white? My guess is no. But many probably believe that they do.

This shabbiness is beyond spin. It's not distorting unhelpful facts to make the case for something you believe in. It's convincing yourself to believe an utter fabrication because you think it'll help your guy. And the more you do it the crazier it looks to anybody on the outside. Which is probably half the reason why every time somebody says the name 'Ayers' Obama's favorables rise and John McCain's fall.