A Hilarious Prank on the 9/12'ers

[Rusty5329]

I have to hand to the people at the American Thinker Blog. They played what is possibly one of the funniest jokes I have seen in a while.

Here's what they did. The wrote up a blog, claiming that the 9/12 teabagger protest was the largest event ever held in DC. In it, they even quoted the National Park Service:

"The truth will out. Despite mainstream media attempts to characterize turnout as in the thousands, a spokesman for the National Park Service, Dan Bana, is quoted as saying "It is a record.... We believe it is the largest event held in Washington, D.C., ever.""

They linked to the sources of the quotes, like any halfway decent blogger would. All they had to do was sit back and watch, as countless teabaggers ready to believe anything would neglect to check those links. What ensued was hilarity.

continued with #tcot hilarity at http://sumofchange.blogspot.com/2009/09/this-is-just-too-good.html

[Ramulux]

1. LOL

All it takes is to check the link, and they cant even do that.

[Rusty5329]

3. Seriously...

Bloggers provide links for a freakin reason. Click them or suffer looking like a complete moron.

[Rusty5329]

17. it turns out that even the author didn't...

check the link. Check out the blog again, I updated it.

[Fuzz]

2. Freeper threads about it.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2338770/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2338258/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2338210/posts

[prolesunited]

4. They always seem overly concerned about peeing

A friend and I both required a rest room stop after arriving at Freedom Plaza. We were able to get into the Ronald Reagan Building there to use the facilities. I remarked to my friend..."Thank God once again, for Ronald Reagan"...

[Alcibiades]

11. They all have enlarged prostates

Even the women.

[Emit]

14. lol

:spray:

[LuvNewcastle]

5. Alex Jones was quoting them today.

He said there were 2 million there and that we couldn't see them all because there weren't any aerial shots. I know the man is delusional, but DAMN!

[rbrnmw]

13. OMG Alex Jones is even more insane than Beck

but that may be a draw not sure

[Stephanie]

6. Brilliant!

I'm looking for the original article on American Thinker but I'm not seeing it. I think it's been pulled. Was it a prank on them too? Looks like a wingnut site. There are a few articles about the 9-12 march but not with the referenced links.

[struggle4progress]

15. Yeah, American Thinker is a wingnut site: they cater to the dishonest and/or stupid

[Stephanie]

7. I'm looking for the post

I found this copy of it:

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=343360

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK
Inaugural crowd size reportedly D.C. record
January 22, 2009

WASHINGTON - The National Park Service says it will rely on a media report that says 1.8 million people attended President Obama's inauguration.
David Barna, a Park Service spokesman, said the agency did not conduct its own count. Instead, it will use a Washington Post account that said 1.8 million people gathered on the US Capitol grounds, National Mall, and parade route.

"It is a record," Barna said. "We believe it is the largest event held in Washington, D.C., ever."

The Post reported the figure yesterday, citing an unidentified senior security official, who had access to estimates from many agencies. The Post also used satellite images, square footage, and crowd density formulas.

Nearly 38 million Americans watched inauguration coverage on television, the most popular Inauguration Day on TV since Ronald Reagan took office in 1981. Nielsen Media Research said Reagan's 41.8 million viewers remains the record. Obama more than doubled the 15.5 million viewers who watched George Bush's second inauguration four years ago.

At American Thinker I only find this:

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/09/912_demonstration_a_record_dc.html

September 13, 2009
9/12 demonstration a record DC turnout: National Park Service
Thomas Lifson

The truth will out. Despite mainstream media attempts to characterize turnout as in the thousands, a spokesman for the National Park Service, Dan Bana, is quoted as saying "It is a record.... We believe it is the largest event held in Washington, D.C., ever."

Democrats and their media acolytes may wish this weren't so, and they may even employ the Ostrich Strategy, burying their collective heads in the sand, pretending that a major important political movement isn't happening. But they only hasten their own demise in doing so.

Meanwhile, Gateway Pundit compares the littler left behind on 9/12 with the aftermath of the Obama inauguration. It is a startling contrast.

Neither has the referenced links. I'd love to see the original. I think it's been pulled. The first article above links back to Boston.com.

[Rusty5329]

8. my lordy...

they pulled the link out of the post. The America Thinker Blog that you found is the one I was reading, and this is the link they used to have referenced:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/01/22/inaugural_crowd_size_reportedly_dc_record/

Maybe this wasn't actually a joke? I didn't honestly believe someone could be that stupid. I seriously thought they were playing a prank!

[Stephanie]

9. Yes but if you go to the boston.com story, there are no links

I don't see anything that links back to the Inauguration stories. You're saying they DID have the Bosston.com article up at American Thinker, and they added their own links to it? Some prankster added links to the Inauguration stories? If so those links are gone.

[Rusty5329]

10. American Thinker used the link...

in the article, when it quotes the National Park Service, the word "quoted" was linked to the boston.com story, when they say "Dan Bana, is quoted as saying" it used to have a link.

I think they must have gotten that info from someone else, just reposted without checking it. After commenters pointed it out (in comments that have since been deleted) they must have realized the mistake. Rather than deleting the story, they just got rid of the quote. Which actually puts them in violation of plagiarism.

[DCKit]

16. "...in violation of plagiarism." is making my head hurt.

I imagine it's causing actual, physical damage to noozereaders and pawndits. Brains leaking out all over the floor and shit.

[Rusty5329]

12. I've now contacted...

boston.com to alert them to the plagiarism, and American Thinker to request that they delete their bogus story. We'll see where this goes tomorrow morning.

[merh]

18. The article is still there.

Perhaps we should let snopes and politicalfact.com.

This seems to be up their allies.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/14/blog-posting/blogger-claim-photo-shows-millions-tea-party-prote/

[jpljr77]

19. Seriously, this is a great "litmus" question to ask someone if you are ever in need...

If you ever find yourself talking to/arguing with someone about politics and you need to find out right quick if you should continue or just walk away, simply ask, "How many people showed up for the 9/12 tax/spending/whatever protest in DC?"

If they say, "Oh, there were around 50-75,000 there, right?" then you're OK to continue.

If their eyes get really big and shiny and start spewing, "Man, there were at least 1 million people there, probably closer to 2 million, you know, because of the mainstream media and muslims and Obama tax kittens...." then you just need to leave.

[Rusty5329]

20. hahahaha!!!

I might have to try that one out

[wicket]

21. ROFL

:rofl:

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Vickers]

23. YOU LIE!!!

Just throwing a little of your boy Wilson back atcha.

:headbang:

[tallahasseedem]

24. Nice article...

Too bad you never learned that in order for an article to be credible it needs to have credible sources. Unfortunately for you and the author of this article, Michelle Malkin is not a credible source.

Go sell crazy at Free Republic.

[Mz Pip]

25. Even if there

were 5 million people at the 9/12 Obama hatefest, in the word of Dick Cheney, "So?"

We had an election and these folks lost. They can march until they are purple but it won't change the fact that Obama won big time.

He's the Presdient. Get used to it.

[Bill219]

26. So if the protest was as large as you say it was

Why were freepers using photos of past marches to gin up the count total..the real photos should speak for themselves as to how large the protest was.

They were caught red handed

I would put more faith in the Fire Departments estimates than any online source or television pundit who deliberately lies.

[Rusty5329]

27. and if it was so large?

How come getting around DC was nothing compared to inauguration? These people celebrate ignorance.

[Maeve]

28. Did no one question "Dan Bana" as a name?

It stood out as a red flag to me, just as if they had used "Seymour Butz"