Posted on 08/22/2008 9:40:04 AM PDT by LdSentinal
CHESAPEAKE, Va. – By the time Barack Obama is ready to announce his vice presidential pick, will anyone believe him?
In recent days, as speculation and anticipation has mounted, so too have phony text messages declaring Obama’s supposed running mate – from Evan Bayh and Hillary Rodham Clinton to Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.
It’s a cruel twist in a prolonged game of guessing that has put political junkies and Democratic supporters on edge since the campaign announced last week that it would disclose Obama’s choice through text messaging, which is expected to happen by Saturday.
In the absence of real information, pranksters have filled the gap with guidance from the website Wonkette – and maybe Howard Stern, too.
“There is incredible enthusiasm for Barack Obama’s vice presidential announcement and unfortunately some people have used that enthusiasm and sent out hoaxes," said Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki, who received one herself. “We can assure our supporters these texts did not come from the campaign and their data is secure. Everyone can also rest easy that despite their popularity, Mickey Mouse and Michael Phelps are not on the short list at this time.”
A Manhattan woman got excited when she received a message announcing Hillary Rodham Clinton, but soon realized it was a joke she saw nothing more about the choice on the Internet.
There also were reports of John Kerry, Walter Mondale and even Eliot Spitzer.
On Wednesday morning, Richmond lawyer Anne Leigh Kerr passed along bad information to political types after receiving a text message from an unknown number that, in formal language, announced that Obama selected Gov. Tim Kaine.
“Now, even if Tim Kaine himself tells me he's VP, I think I'll keep my mouth shut,” Kerr told Politico.
The website Wonkette might have something to do with the proliferation of hoax messages. At 2:07 p.m. Wednesday, managing editor Ken Layne posted a step-by-step manual from a reader under the headline: “Freak Out Your Friends With Fake Obama VP TXT.”
“We are proud to help cause confusion and excitement during this terrible boring week of no news at all,” Layne wrote in an email to Politico. “But we can't really take too much credit for it – apparently one of our readers listens to Howard Stern (which is still on the radio?) and heard of the veep TXT hoax, and figured out an easy way to do it through Verizon's TXT website.”
Layne said he has personally sent about 50 messages announcing Mondale.
“So many of my so-called friends have sent hoax (texts) to me now,” he added, “that I'll probably end up ignoring the real one.”
My unimpeachable sources say it will be Paris Hilton.
Obama/Hilton!
Michael Phelps already rejected Obama as unpatriotic.
Mondale, Spitzer........LOL
Now why didn’t I think of this, I’m losing a step.
Personally, I think he should choose Jeremiah Wright or Ayers as his running mate.
Just sent an announcement to my family, boss, and some friends that the VP Choice is Fmr Pres. James Earl Carter.
Lending America a hand.
What about Cindy Sheehan?
I think he should squeeze his eyes shut really hard, feel around under the bus, and whomever he pulls out first should get the nod!
There are so many to choose from under there!!!!
My folks would catch on fast that it’s a joke with Sheehan’s name. But Carter’s would make them go, “hmmmmmm”
It wasn’t exactly handOuts Joycelyn Elders was advocating...
LOL-—best laugh of the day——thanks.
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