I didn't really believe Fox News's Sarah-Palin-thinks-Africa-is-a-country rumor (and wrote as

It's funny because it's true: From the NYT article (that Mike's already flagged ) about the

How could Palin even be expected to know Sunni vs. Shiite? The top of her ticket, the guy with the alleged foreign policy chops, didn't even know.

"My Bad?" That's not nearly enough of an apology -- or even responsibility-taking -- from a thirty-something who would, without a moment's hesitation, claim himself to be a professional journalist on his reumeé. Nor enough gnuine humility from someone with too much self-esteem to ever turn down a chance to "demonstrate" his expertise as a commentator on a MSNBC, CNN, and/or Fox cable news networks.

If, as Governor, Sarah Palin makes a mistake or an erroneous decision there is a real price to be paid for her "bad." When Franklin Foer or Michael Crowley or Isaac Chotiner or Noam Scheiber smugly indulge in some ironic disdain pretending to be trenchant blooging, let alone reporting or journalism, they do so under the most lenient of "pass-fail" systems (especially TNR's) with very little pause for accuracy and honor.

Here's one thing that the readers of TNR's smug bloggers can count on: If any of the TNR blogger/journos who hide behind their keyboards had to actually defend the honor of their respective wives or girlfriends in a bar fight, there is absolutely no question that Sarah Palin would step up and do a better job of fighting for their women's honor and safe-being that any of these "men of TNR."

Bkaplovitz, I agree with the thrust of your argument.  I thought some of the apologies here a little self-serving ("the pressures of the internet"), but still, what's up with "TNR blogger/journos who hide behind their keyboards had to actually defend the honor of their respective wives or girlfriends in a bar fight, there is absolutely no question that Sarah Palin would step up and do a better job of fighting for their women's honor and safe-being that any of these 'men of TNR.'"  Why the sissification?

I wonder if bkaplovitz wagged his/her finger this ferociously at FoxNews when they were reporting on Obama's having gone to a madrassa or exaggerating his relationship to Bill Ayers or characterizing his affectionate gesture with his wife a "terrorist fist bump." I suspect not.

Maybe TNR should have vetted the comments better, but the fact that they were identified as a hoax the instant that fact was revealed is to the magazine's credit.

Keep in mind that Palin didn't unequivocally deny the accusation.  She didn't say, "Of course I know that Africa is a continent!"  Instead, she attacked her anonymous accusers and said mealy-mouthed things about being "taken out of context."  And finally, the fake news was broken by Fox News.  Of course the MSM should have done more to follow up, but when all this is taken in context (as Palin might put it), it's not crazy for the media to have believed the story.

Hoax or not, the damage has been done. A large number of Americans will continue to believe that Palin thought Africa was a country just as a large number of Americans believe that Al Gore claimed he invented the internet. In 2000, the narrative was that Al Gore was a liar. In 2008, the narrative is that Sarah Palin is stupid. A story that confirms an existing bias is too precious to be thrown away even if it's not true.

Accusations such as these are only believable because Palin is as near a "Special Needs" politician as there can be.  Time after time her lacking ability to form simple coherent sentences is reinforced.  She makes bigger, dumber gaffes than both Bush and Gaffmaster Biden.  Regardless of the ridiculousness of the accusation if it is about Palin there is always a hint of truth in the hoax.