Iran Propaganda Outlet Bases News Story on Onion Article

Still basking in the glory of his latest appearance at the U.N., Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad now heads back to Tehran with his head held high after winning yet more American hearts and minds. As the Islamic Republic's official news agency, Fars, reports this morning, according to a new Gallup poll released Monday "the overwhelming majority of rural white Americans said they would rather vote for Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad than US President Barack Obama."

"I like him better," said West Virginia resident Dale Swiderski, who, along with 77 percent of rural Caucasian voters, confirmed he would much rather go to a baseball game or have a drink with Ahmadinejad than spend time with Obama.

"He takes national defense seriously, and he'd never let some gay protesters tell him how to run his country like Obama does."

According to the same Gallup poll, 60 percent of rural whites said they at least respected that Ahmadinejad doesn't try to hide the fact that he's Muslim.

Unfortunately for Ahmadinejad, and perhaps worse for the Fars employee who republished the item, it's a gag. The story was originally posted earlier this week in The Onion. It seems unlikely that the Iranian president will enjoy the joke at his expense. Instead, expect to see the satirical website included on the IRI's next blacklist of American media organizations, policymakers and think-tanks involved in a high-level conspiracy against the regime.