Mandel wrote:

As you can imagine, far too many people failed to look at the dateline. Far too many people failed to put two and two together and get that they were being had. Far too many people (and I’d wager that this is more than likely) pushed the story forward as legit and found themselves with some humble moon pie over their collective faces.

I think that’s true. Most people did take the story at face value because Car and Driver is a reputable magazine.

But, Mandel continues:

It has been a long-standing tradition that Car and Driver pulls April Fool’s jokes. And more often than not, those attempts are not even remotely humorous. This one, considering the economic times we are in, was not just funny, but it was also absurd . . . and it had the ring of newsworthiness.

Mandel couldn’t be more right. C&D has a history of doing this stuff, and that can’t be forgotten. They say that every joke has a grain of truth. And the fact that, with today’s economy, this could have been true is why people are so outraged.

To think, C&D would prey on our emotions in such a difficult time. Shame on them, right?

While I don’t know that I agree with all of the hoopla — that’s right, I called it hoopla — that is surrounding this story, I can understand why major media outlets and personalities (Ann Coulter) thought it was true.

But, in defense of C&D, all they did was make light of the worry that this could be coming. For that, should they be crucified? No.

The joke was probably in poor taste, but you know what? Some jokes just are that way. One day later, it’s time to move on.

In her column dated yesterday, she wrote:

If Obama can tell GM and Chrysler that their participation in NASCAR is an “unnecessary expenditure,” isn’t having public schools force students to follow Muslim rituals, recite Islamic prayers and plan “jihads” also an “unnecessary expenditure”? Are all those school condom purchases considered “necessary expenditures”?

Upon further reading about this story, it looks like Car and Driver didn’t originally label the article a joke.

Media Matters for America features a Live Search cache snapshot of the article, which does not include the later-added Happy April Fools text under the headline.

Knowing that, it’s no wonder so many people are up in arms about the article, and were so easily duped.

I apologize for being under the impression that the article was clearly marked all along. This explains why C&D said they went “too far,” and pulled the article.

C&D is a reputable magazine, and most people would take their reporting at face value. I know I would. And other than the computer-generated image of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevy, driven by the late Dale Earnhardt Sr, there was no indication that something was fishy with this article.

I point to the image because it is not authentic in that the supposed Chevy is supporting a Mercedes Benz-like grill, not the Chevy front with the bowtie. But is that really enough to know the article is fake? No.

Regardless of whether or not I think that article was in poor taste, it is certainly understandable to take it at face value.

And, in this case, C&D used its reputation to trick people, and for that they should be sorry. 

Several media outlets are still covering this story. They are: ESPN, Newsday, Investor’s Business Daily, and CNBC, just to name a few.

The article states that Obama said that in order to receive additional government bailout funds, the two automakers would have to cease their NASCAR operations by the end of the season.

The purported move would save roughly $250 million, according to the article.

The joke went so far as to quote Obama as saying:

Automakers used to operate on the principle of ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday,’ but the Auto Task Force’s research just doesn’t validate that as true.

The article even speculates that Hyundai — that’s right Hyundai — could join the series.

Ha.