How shocking, if only it were true.

The e-mails I get nearly on a daily basis should not faze me. People make stuff up all the time to smear one candidate and boost another. But I get these e-mails from my relatives, for whom I care deeply. I won’t say which two are the worst offenders. My purpose is not to make them look foolish.

I open the email, and read the first few lines, then check Snopes or PolitiFact immediately. Usually eye-rolling ensues, and I fire back an e-mail reminding them to check the two Web sites, knowing it will do no good anyway.

Today I’d had enough. I got the email about Obama and McCain’s tax policies (the copy of the e-mail I received had been further altered to make it less true). The person who sent it to me is married to an accountant.

I hit reply to all. I know that’s a bad idea in almost any case. I linked to Snopes and to PolitiFact, as usual. Does anyone believe these e-mails enough to the point where it changes opinion? Somehow I doubt that. For the most part, people vote the party, not the person.

Finally, I don’t favor either candidate or party, nor would I say if I did. I don’t think reporters of any stripe should tip their hat to anyone about what they believe or who they support. But I will always be annoyed when someone spreads a lie when a simple Internet search would reveal the truth.