Was Obama born to Muslim Martians with plans to seize Temecula?

This week's provocative New Yorker magazine cover featuring Barack and Michelle Obama as armed and Muslim calls attention to a variety of myths floating around the country these days, mainly online, but also openly voiced.

To check on what you hear, the website snopes.com is valuable. It tracks and debunks urban legends of the e-mail variety. It could be the first place you go when that unexpected message pings into your inbox from another e-mail chain.

You can also search Snopes for more myths or alleged truths about others such as Sens. John McCain (he did tell a story once about a fellow POW in Hanoi who got beaten for sewing a U.S. flag on his prison shirt) or John Kerry (his photo does hang in a Vietnamese Peace Museum for being a war protester).

According to the site, here are the top myths about Barack Obama:

• He is a "radical Muslim" who will not recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
• He was sworn into office on the Koran.
• Obama's church has a "nonnegotiable commitment to Africa" that is covertly Muslim and excludes non-blacks.
• Obama has been endorsed for president of the U.S. by the Ku Klux Klan.
• Obama's presidential campaign is being funded by Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chávez.

For the rest of the mythical Obama list, check out our colleague James Oliphant's intriguing story over at the Swamp.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[VJ Machiavelli]

It seems to me the more you post all these myths the more play you give them and the people who spread them.

[Thad]

VJ Machiavelli: that's certainly a risk, but so is just ignoring absurd rumors as beneath a candidate's notice. Look where it got John Kerry. This nonsense HAS to be confronted and debunked.

However, I would absolutely agree on the subject of the New Yorker cover. The people who think Obama is a secret militant Muslim don't read the New Yorker and wouldn't have known about the cover at all if there hadn't been a media tempest surrounding it.

[James McDouglas]

The cover was racist.

Would they dare show Lieberman in skull cap and curly sideburns holding an Israeli passport? On a national journal's cover?

No. They wouldn't.

That's the racist double standard practiced here in America by our media.

And here they are... continuing to shrug it off like it's nothing.

Racists.

White racists.

They've shown themselves for what they are by their inability to see what they did wrong... as all racists do.

[yay]

yay a comment

[pedeen]

Probably Kansas is temecula or whatever? when doeas these nonse stop?

[Dennis B]

Obama's family is Muslim. That's a fact. Obama himself has lied about so many parts of his personal history that whether he's Muslim or not, how are we to know? If a white person had a church and pastor like his, that person would never have gotten a single vote. This whole package is so messed up and tainted, and he has so many ugly connections with negative people, Rezko, Wright, that terrorist friend of his, his own radical Islamist brother, his pushing the Islamist agenda in Kenya.... why is he even a candidate? I just don't get it.

[SA Madej]

I complete agree with VJ Machiavelli. Obviously, everyone knows these are rumors by now. Let's move on and stop recycling them through the press.

[George Jetson]

Lawyer Obama does not know the difference between 'is' and 'was', we all know he has been attending christian church for 20 years. But what he keeps covering up is how before that he WAS a muslim.

[Julio A. Cartaya]

Tsk, tsk... If you are going to quote almost verbatim James Oliphant's article, a link to that article seems unnecessary, and a credit seems required.

(The credit is there as is the link.)

[Earl Evleth]

Humor is hard to do and satire is harder, since
it involves ridicule. When either fails it does
so with a flop.

It took a long time for Hilter to become funny,
as in "Springtime for Hitler". Icons are hard
to make funny. Has anybody done a humorous
bit on Thomas Jefferson?

[Agorist]

"Play" aside, "internet chain mail" in general is stupid, insidious, ruminant behavior, and a computer security issue that vastly increases risks for Trojan/worm infection and identity theft. The only responsible advice to give regarding it is to delete it immediately, tell the person who sent it to never do it again, and blacklist that person if he or she does not comply.

[Agorist]

"Play" aside, "internet chain mail" in general is stupid, valueless, ruminant behavior, and a computer security issue that increases risk for Trojan/worm infection and identity theft. The only responsible advice to give regarding any examples of it is to delete immediately and instruct the sender to never do it again. If the sender fails to comply, blacklist them.

[ABB]

Why do so called "journalists" continue to print and therefore reinforce these lies? Where is the bulleted list of the myths regarding John McCain?

[funny]

This tittle is funny - and sad. And some folks will believe it, and there really is nothing that can be done about that for now. Until the first black president is sworn in, and the world does not end. And the president responds with an objective eye treating the needs of the greatest with equal attention. The he doesn't consider that he is "showing the people" anything, but that he is 'serving the people'. Until THAT president actually fulfills his committments to the people and overhauls the health care system, pulls he troops from Iraq, put more emphasis on benefits for vet, assesses the VA system, lifts minimum wage, etc. They will be confronted with their belief system. Groomed internalized fear .... they are not bad people. Unfortunately they have been used .... cool photo of Chavez.

[Palmo]

Putting a question mark at the end of a libelous statement doesn't make it any less false. This "article" doesnt do anything but use the same shock appeal that all the rumors play upon to get people to view the page. you should be ashamed.

[Smith]

Nonesence and there are actully people taht will beleive this. Those who beleive in such BS are victim of the current administration

[Eric ROth]

Exposing absurd claims to rational criticism is both a moral and historical obligation of the press.

Likewise, the curious support of so many Obama fans and fanatics for widespread censorship - from Obama's middle name to the New Yorker cover - raises questions about a free press during any Obama presidency. Let's be clear: the first amendment protects political speech, even political speech that might offend our favored candidate. Further, many dictators - like Sudan's ruler about to be indicated for genocide - like to hide behind bogus "dignity arguments" and demand "respect" from the press.

Let's keep the American tradition of a free, critical press alive - and resist the latest efforts to censor speech. Okay?

[Jim]

provacotive? How about racist cover!

the simple fact that the LA time cant come out and state that it was racist unequivocally is absurd. Using the guise of trying to point out al the attacks he has faces is absurd.

When has Michelle's hair been attacked? When was Obama accused of burning the flag?

Why would the magainze have to release a statement saying the cartoon "combines a number of fantastical images about the Obamas and shows them for the obvious distortions they are."

get some spine LA TIMES and call it what it was, racist. Futher, where are the extreme fantastical images of McCain? They don't exist.....

[Eric ROth]

Exposing absurd claims to rational criticism is both a moral and historical obligation of the press.

Likewise, the curious support of so many Obama fans and fanatics for widespread censorship - from Obama's middle name to the New Yorker cover - raises questions about a free press during any Obama presidency. Let's be clear: the first amendment protects political speech, even political speech that might offend our favored candidate. Further, many dictators - like Sudan's ruler about to be indicated for genocide - like to hide behind bogus "dignity arguments" and demand "respect" from the press.

Let's keep the American tradition of a free, critical press alive - and resist the latest efforts to censor speech. Okay?

[Kathy]

The presidential race isn't American Idol. Actually take the time to check out Obama's voting record in the senate. Take the time to check out his actual tax plan and then if you still want to vote for him by all means do so.

[dave]

can you afford to be owned?

we're by now probably all used to customized ads. the catchy catchwords linked to any of your clicks will bring along the - sometimes more, and sometimes less - matching, or somehow related, ads on your screen. this is how google has been working for a while, and making money, you believe. but it's interesting to see, how simultaneously, advertising's using a whole variety of propaganda techniques, for instance, this simple reverse strategy, here's how it works: say, on a l.a. times blog site, there's that ad for macy's, e.g. featuring an obama-lookalike depiction in leisurely pose, and the caption, 'PRESEASONSALE,' (no, not: -sellout) highlighting in color, the word 'SEASON.' right underneath that, 'ROLL OVER to pick up the hottest trends for fall.' if you see what's going on here, you might start to blink an eye. like, what's macy's trying to sell here in addition to macy's, and why? is this a package of ads, and what's macy's got to do with this, what's whoever got to do with this? and, what's an obama-lookalike got to do with this? and what's this got to do with you? here's the simple math: it's all about selling things to you (especially things you don't really like, don't need, can't afford, have no practical use for - and if they were free, you might think they're essentially worthless to you, and might think life, and YOU, are worth a lot more than anything that can be owned, and all the things you can imagine to OWN) ...and what could be more practical, than the total cooperation (/corporation), of everyone who might be interested in getting one thing or another - to you/from you, than bundling it all together? and if this seems to be about your money, money is only the facade. who needs money, if they can make it at a mouseclick, and add as many zeros as they might wish? it's the debt that drives the system, and as you identify with the debt, that's YOU. proudly owned. and then you'll see them everywhere - ADS that stare you in the eye telling you to pay attention - time for some serious vision correction... or telling you that it's the epitome of luxury to identify with a machine or system so sophisticated that even its s[/c]ensors get to be s[/c]ensored... and then, someone will tell you - if you insist on not telling yourself, since you feel it could make you SAD - that you're only kidding, dream on... roll over already - NOW?

[Archie]

I live in Ohio. My next door neighbors really believe the tainted, bizarre, and sometimes hilariously wrong rumors and myths about Mr. Obama. These rumors run rampant rural and suburban Ohio and Indiana...

[Joe]

TO: SA Madej - It's statements like yours that are the cause for these types of articles in the first place.

Quoted directly from Obama's website:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/christian
"Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised as a Muslim, and is a committed Christian"

[Earl]

Why do so many people claim racism is a bad thing? Frankly I am tired of politicall correctness. Racism is alive and well. I see it in kindergarten all the way to senior citizens even as I write. Black people want equality but go out of their way to be different than the rest of the populace. Blacks overwhelmingly voted for Obama even though SUPPOSEDLY he and Hillary had similar pollitical views. If that is the case then the black vote would have been split between the two. Could that be black racism...

[Waltercito]

The outrageously disingenuous, defensive drivel being spouted by various "journalist" talking-heads about this issue on cable TV is disgusting. Presumably, the educated and socially sophisticated "New Yorker" market "gets" the satire...the problem is, that image is likely being screen-printed onto cheap T-shirts right now for distribution to the uninformed 30% or so of the nation that believes Obama is a Muslim, etc. Admittedly, the cartoon is an attempt at parody, but it should have appeared as a small illustration deeply imbedded within the article, rather than as cover art. This depiction could not have done more damage to Obama's presidential chances if it have been an element of a conscious conspiracy.

[chainz88]

I have to agree with James McDouglas that the New Yorker would never have done a cover showing Lieberman as a puppet of the Israeli government. That's a good point of comparison, and it does suggest that in America we are more comfortable stereotyping black men. To call something a joke, of course, does not negate the viciousness of the representation. And, sadly, the joke in the cartoon is on Obama and black politicians generally, and not merely on the gullible white people who believe these myths.

[Gus P]

If your a public figure your going to get lamponed it is a fact of life, some are in good taste most are not. I find it interesting that Obama is so thin skinned. He dosn't say it but his surrogates cry Racisim. If Obama is not strong enough to handle this how can he lead the country.
The left like to call themselfs progressives, but they remind me of the 70's and the Nixon administration, can you say censorship.

[marvin_newman]

so what if obama was muslim? what kind of christian are you for questioning a persons faith? it doesnt matter what religion yiu are, to serve for poeple, unless you want to be the pope.

[Dew]

Obama -- beware the false prophet

[Riiight]

Riggggghhhhttt...that pervasive white racism in the media. *rolleyes*

The only racism I see in the media is ANTI-white.

Look at "The Simpsons" or "King of the Hill" for hate-filled caricatures of Southern whites and whites in general.

Look at every other TV show, too. Invariably, the doctor, the lawyer, the judge is black. The criminal is white.

The "white guy" is always the fumbling, inept boob in TV ads, to the chagrin of his wise, cool black buddy.

Or a pen of whites being herded by a smart black man in a recent bank ad. That's not racist, because blacks can only be victims of racism and whites can only be perpetrators.

This New Yorker ad is again ripping on whites. You know, those vicious racist whites who are in any way perplexed about Obama's past. Because it's racist to question a black in ANY WAY.

I am revoking minorities' right to whine and mewl about anything and everything they don't like and call it "racist."

[PATMAN]

IF SOMEONE WANTS TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT OBAMA AND HIS FAMILY ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE INTERNET. HE CAN'T COVER ANYTHING UP DESPEITE ACCUSATIONS THAT HE HAS BEEN TRYING TO. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6333496 GO THERE FOR A LITTLE INFORMATION AND IN SEARCHING USE COMMON SENSE.

[Jillann]

I did not find the satire on the cover of the New Yorker funny, I thought it was of bad taste and offensive. That being said, there is something that's just not right about Obama. If anything I believe that he and his wife are racist, and radical ,or they would not have attended Wright's church. They would still be attending if America had not been appalled, and Obama became afraid that he would lose votes.
I had not heard of the martian Muslum myth. However, I myself put together that Barack sounds too much like Iraq, and Obama sounds too much like Osama, and that is enough for me to say "Take a minute and think about it". I won't vote for him to be a US President. I don't know how he got this far. I am a Democrat, but I have to admit that I have voted Republican several times in recent years because the Democrats can't seem to find a decent candidate, and Obama is the worst yet.

[Tony Levand]

What difference does religion make, the president could be cathloic, jewish,muslim,pagan or anything else, that's written in the constitution, The separation between church and state and is exactly what the forfathers had in mind, persecution based on personal beliefs These people probably voted for Bush the second time.

[Oenoboy]

I am a huge Obama fan but the outrage over this cover seems a bit oversensitive to me. I think it is hilarious and shows the absurdity of the stereotypical attacks on Michelle and Barack Obama coming from the Republican attack machine and racist individuals. The mental midgits who still believe Obama is a Muslim and who do not see this cover as an attack on the ignorance of their beliefs are going going to vote against Obama no matter what.

The reason the New Yorker have not parodied other political figures is that there are not such outrageous misnomers about them. Everyone needs to chill out and get a sense of humour including the Obama team.

[ASM826]

Here's a truth about Sen. Obama. He's a dedicated socialist with plans to radically restructure the United States. His own speeches, even his campaign slogan tell us this. I think that makes him a poor choice to be the President. I plan to vote accordingly.

[Wisdo]

Hugo Chavez was elected twice. He is not a dictator.

[Henry Landis]

Funny ? The cartoonist and the editor who O.K'd it are just a tad too sophisticated for simpletons like me. If this is their version of humor they're right up there with the guy who tells dirty jokes to the family of the deceased at the funeral.

[bruce becker]

My list for John McCain.

1. Was "doing" Cindi before the divorce was final from Carol.
(seems likely, since John and Cindi married one month later)
2. Crashed multiple planes, one in Corpus Christi harbor.
(true, right?)
3. Former prisoner, approves waterboarding prisoners by CIA, in violation of Geneva convention.
(too true
4. The only one not based on absolute fact:
Alzheimer John. This comes from his medical report, 1300 pages and not one test for short term memory loss nor for 'incipient Alzheimer's" even though 15% of the general public John's age have full on Alzheimers.

[Arms in the air]

I find it interesting that the debate about the New Yorker cover isn't about its meaning or content, but weather or not American's are smart enough to understand it. Apparently the answer is a resounding NO. I for one don't think it's a good idea to pander to idiots who can't understand satire. I suppose we should stop teaching Jonathan Swift because some stupid Americans will think that we're supposed to eat third world babies, or ban Stanley Kubric's Dr. Strangelove because people will believe that the military is actually going to drop an atomic bomb to protect our precious bodily fluids. Weird Al has got to go too, as with Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Monty Python, the cast of Saturday Night Live, The Onion Newspaper + website, and many other things because apparently we should cater to every idiot out there who doesn't understand art.
Go ahead claim it's not art, claim that the forum doesn't support it, but explain the article that accompanied the picture, explain the title of the piece, if your answer is "but they won't read that," then you have lost. Idiots don't read.

[Jack]

"Would they dare show Lieberman in skull cap and curly sideburns"

As regular readers know, the New Yorker has run satirical covers with Jews in skull caps. In fact, they took quite a lot of heat for one particular cover -- the December 18, 2000, one to be precise -- featuring a big-nosed Hasidim with Santa Claus.

Would their 2006 cover with George Bush and Dick Cheney as cowboy lovers, a la "Brokeback Mountain," be anti-gay? Anti-hetero? Anti-cowboy? Anti-GOP?

"They've shown themselves for what they are by their inability to see what they did wrong... as all racists do."

So it's okay in your book to fight sweeping generalizations by making sweeping generalizations?

[grandpa]

Martians wouldn't want Temecula. I know, because I live there, and there's few signs of life.

[margaret]

I was raised in this beautiful country to judge a person by the company he keeps. if that is the case, please tell me....WHY DO WE HAVE A CLOWN LIKE THIS RUNNING FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE USA? ? ? What has HE DONE? ? ? He's benn a lawyer since his twenties...and he's now 46...and has only been in a COURTROOM 10 TIMES? He's NEVER EVEN CONDUCTED ONE TRIAL? ? ?...and EVEN HE can't explain to anyone just what a COMMUNITY ORGANIZER IS! ! ! Just sound like another UNION MARXIEST GET-TOGETHER TO ME! ! ! Some PLEASE SAVE AMERICA from the likes of HIM and the guys that are REALY PULLING HIS STRINGS! ! !! ! !

[Rex]

I was going to vote for obama until I saw him burning the flag in the white house with his terroist wife and a picture of osama on the wall.

[richard]

Why do so many people claim racism is a bad thing? Frankly I am tired of politicall correctness. Racism is alive and well. I see it in kindergarten all the way to senior citizens even as I write. Black people want equality but go out of their way to be different than the rest of the populace. Blacks overwhelmingly voted for
Obama even though SUPPOSEDLY he and Hillary had similar pollitical views. If that is the case then the black vote would have been split between the two. Could that be black racism...
Posted by: Earl | July 16, 2008 at 05:04 AM

Black people want equality but go out of their way to be different than the rest of the populace.

We are different because we are black sir and our hair is nappy we were born that way! We are not white! what would you have us do bleach ourselves.
What you are really saying is that blacks don't act white! We don't experiment with syphilis on white people, our policemen don't shoot unarmed whites in the back 45 times etc etc etc. When you go for a job blacks hire whites last and fire them first! That's acting white?That's what you want?

I find it so weird! Whites have been voting for white presidential candidates for over 200 years 100% of the time. You voted for presidents who thought that BIRTH OF A NATION was a national treasury. Your parents and grandparents voted for presidents who thought lynching blacks was a sport-Calvin Coolidge. They were racist sir! They had a choice! They pick the racists! They became presidents!

When that idiot Jesse Jackson with his stupid Rainbow Coalition ran for president. He got 1 or 2% of the white vote. Blacks were only allowed to vote openly a little more then 60 years ago! My grandmother couldn’t vote! She could but she may have been beaten or killed for turning up at the polls. I think she thought raising me was more important then dying. For all of those 60 years black people have vote 100% for white men except for The Idiot Jesse Jackson. That was because he would look stupid if no one voted for him. My hate for Jesse Jackson goes back to the day MLK was shot.

If throughout AMERICAS history this country would have treated all of it’s citizens equally sir. Then we would have had pride in America. Instead we only had white America and that didn’t include us. So we are left with PRIDE in OBAMA because he represents something that I or we can have pride in, that includes me or we as a part of the solution. Racists no!

When there is a black candidate running who is qualified and supported by a majority of the democrats in the party and Americans. We blacks suddenly have to make the stupid choice “well their policy are about the same”, but if we vote for someone who gives every black person in America hope that tomorrow will include US, we are RACISTS. So lets vote for Hillary! You’re stupid.

Is it racist? no, in this case it’s pride sir! Sorry, yes we blacks do have pride although you won’t find it on the pages of the NEW YORKER. We made it from slavery as a people to maybe the POTUS. This will be the only time in all of these black peoples life that they will have a chance to vote for a legitimate black person worthy of the title POTUS. This sir, is not the norm but the exception. You and your grandchildren will have a million more chances, we have only this one shot at the brass ring because of people like you! You’re damn right sir! We racist black people voted 98% for Obama. Imagine that!

White Americans are really weird!

[dave]

'see the grace of the bareback rider, the daring of the acrobat, the strangeness of the snake charmer, and the delight of the dancing pigs.'

things like irony and sarcasm and cynicism in a society tend to get a little complicated when the government, including presidents and would-be presidents, all the media and the most part of official institutions seem to be a big ballyhoo circus with their own all-pervasive exclusive permanent broadway show people can't escape. who doesn't like satire? but not everyone likes cynicism, or shares the humor of a machiavelli and marquis de sade.
'don't like what we said? that you never know if we don't mean the opposite of what we're saying? how do you know we didn't mean the opposite of what we'll never tell you? maybe you'll never know what we meant when we dumb you down, mock you, shut you up, rob you blind, deprive you of your civil liberties, send your kids away to be killed for...good, or just stick them in a uniform and let them teach you, er...those terrorists to behave... well, just think of it all as a hoax. come on, everyone likes a good joke. and just in case you believe we hurt your feelings - and make no mistake, ours hurt too - we didn't mean it. never do. look, it's just our kind of black humor, why don't you lighten up a little and go vote for us again? we made it real easy again, you can vote for the cute little blue donkey, or the little red elephant...in any case, just leave your fingerprints for us, anywhere on those diebold one armed bandits. you know, we're illiterate and color blind. luckily, it won't make any difference. not for us. never does.'