Given the wingnut genuflections in Goldberg's general direction these days, you just knew this had to happen.
Kathryn Lopez puts this out on NRO's The Corner:
In other news: Guess who has been nominated for a Pulitzer? Yes...the P word. Can I even say that around here?
Tribune Media Services (his syndicate) has nominated our Jonah for a Pulitzer in opinion journalism.
Now, if they only know what’s good for them ...
For now, it is an honor to be nominated — we’re all delighted here for our friend and colleague and know so many of you are just as excited for all his success. Liberal Fascism has been a long-time in coming and the degree to which it is being talked about and purchased is great news and a testament to a job well done. The Corner 1/24
Which was breathlessly picked up by such wingnut notables as Hog on Ice.
Which makes you wonder...how dishonest and/or gullible is the blognutosphere?
Remember when wingnut writer Tom Lipscomb had to change his online bio after claiming to be a "Pulitzer nominee" under similar circumstances?
Lipscomb, Sherwood - Pulitzer Scam Artists
The dispositive points being these, from the Pulitzer website itself:
By February 1, the Administrator's office in the Columbia School of Journalism has received the journalism entries -in 2004, typically 1,423. Entries for journalism awards may be submitted by any individual from material appearing in a United States newspaper published daily, Sunday, or at least once a week during the calendar year. (History)
[. . .]
Work that has been submitted for Prize consideration but not chosen as either a nominated finalist or a winner is termed an entry or submission. No information on entrants is provided. (Terminology)
[. . .]
The three finalists in each category are the only entries in the competition that are recognized by the Pulitzer office as nominees.(History)
[. . .]
2008 Pulitzer Prizewinners and Nominated Finalists will be announced April 7, 2008. Finalists are not announced in advance. (News)
(www.pulitzer.org)
In other words, well actually the words of Steve Smith, the fact that your syndicate sends your name to the Pulitzer people no more makes you a Pulitzer nominee than a friend at AMPAS sending in your name makes you an Academy Award nominee.
Now, how far do you think the nutters will carry this? Lopez herself may even have realized the silliness of her claim, having more recently compared Goldberg's "nomination" to Rush Limbaugh's Nobel "nomination," though of course, as with many of Goldberg's comments, there's no way of telling if his own description of himself as a "Pulitzer-nominee" is serious or a self-parody.
(Of course people like Mr. Hog on Ice are not easily persuaded...note also his snarky response to my correction in the comments on his original post, complete with a hilarious "don't mess with us smart lawyers" comeback. And of course he's blocked all my responses.)
So...anybody want to guess how far this meme will go?
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1/28 UPDATE: Well, that didn't take long. Goldberg's bio at his speakers' bureau site now describes him as ... ahem, "Pulitzer-Nominated Conservative Columnist and Editor of the National Review Online." [I replaced the original with a cached version. If I can figure out how to post a screen shot, I will.]
Which means this bit of dishonest puffery probably came straight from Goldberg himself...are his representatives that gullible and intellecutally lazy? Gee, what are the chances?
1/29 UPDATE: Looks like his speakers' bureau got the word. As of today, they only describe Doughy as "Conservative Columnist and Editor of the National Review Online." Poor guy, demoted so fast.
2/1 UPDATE: Mr. Hog on Ice posts a witty riposte, showing that razor-sharp legal mind at work:
These characters are wetting their pants over the Pulitzer committee's refusal to call anyone a nominee until they settle on three finalists. BFD, get a life, etc. Whatever the correct term is, he was nominated.
Which means there are a couple of thousand Pulitzer "nominees" a year. Who knew?!
Hey, I'm getting my pal at AMPAS to send in my name so I can be an Academy Award nominee! Screw the academy's refusal to call me a nominee until I'm one of the "finalists." Whatever the correct term is, I was nominated !
And he was nominated by a gigantic newspaper syndicate, which makes the nomination extremely credible.
Not a bit more credible than if his mother had sent his name in. An entry is an entry. And syndicates send in the names of columnists as a matter of course...after all, it's great publicity.
And these little goofs are going to look mighty silly if Goldberg makes the cut, which is not unlikely at all. The book is a monster bestseller. Unlike Kos's book.
Uhm, Mr. Hog, I thought you said that being a lawyer and all, you were good at all that fine print stuff. Goldberg's name was submitted for his opinion pieces, not his book. That was in the big print...you know, like in the Kathy Jean piece you linked to?
By the way, doesn't it bother you the least little bit that not a single other blogger or print journalist - wingnut or not - has picked up on this newsworthy item? And that his own speakers' service corrected itself?
Slaps forehead ... what was I thinking.
2/1 UPDATE #2: SadlyNo! tracks back with the best take. Ever.
2/18 UPDATE: Wow, even funnier!