“You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” It’s a good quote. Most of us attribute that saying to Abraham Lincoln. Even historians.

However, this quote is not found in any of the writings of Abraham Lincoln. It is likewise not found in any of the newspaper articles around Abraham Lincoln’s time. This particular saying did not even come to be known until about 50 years after Abe was supposed to have said it.

Now most historians credit the great circus master, P.T. Barnum with issuing these remarkable words. So now more than a century and a half later, it appears that this saying isn’t even true. All of the people were fooled for all of this time. But then again, it wasn’t all the time!

And besides if you look at today’s politicians and pollsters it certainly appears to have some bearing in the truth. Just look who’s getting fooled again!