Trivial procedural errors become conspiracy fodder against an unwelcome president

Evidence

Birtherism wasn’t the only conspiracy theory surrounding Obama’s presidency. At his inauguration, Chief Justice John Roberts bungled a few words of the oath of office, which prompted claims that Obama wasn’t really president. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 170

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Electoral irregularities can stem from incompetence rather than manipulation — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 85; Disproportionate effect-to-cause gaps drive people toward conspiracy explanations — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 116

Broader Connections

• Electoral irregularities can stem from incompetence rather than manipulation #epitomizes (0.90) — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 85
• Disproportionate effect-to-cause gaps drive people toward conspiracy explanations #expands (0.78) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 116