Obama Derangement Syndrome: Halloween Candy Edition

Fox Nation: “TRICK: Obamas Hand Out Dried Fruit At WH Halloween.” An October 30 Fox Nation post rewrote the headline of an Associated Press (AP) article to say: “TRICK: Obamas Hand Out Dried Fruit at WH Halloween.” The original AP headline stated, “Things get seasonal at the White House; Obamas hand out Halloween treats.” [Fox Nation, 10/30/11, via Media Matters; AP, 10/29/11, via The Washington Post]

Hoft: “Obama Goes Trick-Or-Treating ... They Handed Out Fruit.” In a Gateway Pundit post titled, “288,000 Lose Power in Earliest Snowstorm in a Century... Obama Goes Trick-or-Treating,” blogger Jim Hoft wrote:

An historic early season snow hit the New England area today knocking out power to at least 288,000 homes. It is the earliest snow in New York City since the Civil War.

Meanwhile... Obama went trick-or-treating.

[...]

They handed out fruit. [Gateway Pundit, 10/29/11, emphasis in original]

Drudge: “Treat Or Trick: Obamas Pass Out Halloween -- 'Fruit'?...” An October 30 post to the Drudge Report read:

[The Drudge Report, 10/30/11]

And This Is Just The Latest Edition Of Obama Derangement Syndrome

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Earthquake Edition. Following an earthquake that struck the East Coast on August 23, right-wing media attacked Obama for being on a golf course during a family vacation when the earthquake struck. [Media Matters, 8/24/11]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Michelle Obama Uses An iPod. Right-wing media figures highlighted a photograph of first lady Michelle Obama using headphones while in her husband's presence, writing that this signified that she “doesn't seem all that happy with the man she married 19 years ago.” [Media Matters, 8/22/11; The Washington Times, via Media Matters, 8/29/11]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Happy Meals. Following McDonald's decision to offer “more nutritionally-balanced” Happy Meals and Michelle Obama's praise of its move, the right-wing media jumped to attack McDonald's for supposedly bending to the will of the “fat police” and making Happy Meals “less happy.” [Media Matters, 7/27/11]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Dijon Mustard. In May 2009, conservative media attacked Obama as an elitist because he ordered a hamburger with Dijon mustard. [Media Matters, 5/7/09]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: The Color Purple. In March 2010, conservative blogger Pamela Geller incited outrage over Obama “Flying The Gangsta Colors At The White House: SEIU, The Color Purple.” Geller went on to criticize Obama's purple tie color choice, despite the fact that Obama's tie appeared to be blue, not purple. [Media Matters, 3/26/10]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Wal-Mart Healthy Foods Initiative. In January, right-wing media accused the Obama administration of threatening or “bullying” Wal-Mart when the company announced a healthy food initiative that would make “thousands of the packaged food items that it sells more healthful and affordable by 2015,” according to The Washington Post. [Media Matters, 1/21/11]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Latin America Jobs Trip. In March, the right-wing media attacked Obama's long-planned jobs trip to Latin America as a “vacation,” even though the trip was focused on economic opportunities for the U.S. and trade relationships with Latin American nations. [Media Matters, 3/18/11]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Children's Easter Egg Roll. Also in March, Fox & Friends attacked the White House Easter Egg Roll, a family event, for making the souvenir eggs more environmentally friendly and encouraging children to exercise. [Media Matters, 3/30/11]

Obama Derangement Syndrome: Osama Bin Laden's Death. In May, The Washington Times attacked Obama following the successful raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, complaining that he golfed before the mission took place and that he “snub[bed] Bush” in his speech following bin Laden's death. [Media Matters, 5/3/11]