Eight years ago, we had a man who invented the Internet running for president.
The current Democratic president is finding himself a victim of hoaxes perpetuated by that same wacky World Wide Web.
Take a look at Snopes.com's list of the hottest e-mail urban legends. It's a list that Obama has been a mainstay on. (Cue Casey Kasem's voice: And holding strong for the 30th straight week at No. 2 is that Senator from Illinois ...)
The biggest hoax, lie -- or whatever you want to call it -- making the rounds is that Barak Obama is a Muslim. It's nothing new. It's been going on for months and has steadfastly been debunked. But thanks to an enthusiastic group of zealots, it lives on.
Now first. I don't personally care whether Obama is a Muslim or not. But here's the thing. He's not! It's a lie. It's a hoax.
And people are believing it.
I really didn't think much of this, until this past week. What struck me was when I heard that a friend -- a smart, well-educated woman in a comfortable income bracket -- said that she liked Obama, but had concerns with his Muslim beliefs.
Let's set the record straight:
Obama is not Muslim and he has taken his oath of office on the Bible -- not the Koran.
Look, I don't care if you want to believe the stupid e-mails you get that tell you that In God We Trust is being taken off money or that you need to immediately send a few hundred bucks to someone in Uganda who is going to pay you back twice as much. But if you're going to make decisions that affect all of us, make sure you've got the right info.
By the way, Al Gore NEVER said that he invented the Internet, nor did he ever say anything that could be interpreted that way.
Let's hope eight years from now, we're not talking about that Muslim who ran for president.
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