“I’m With Jeff” or “A Country Founded by Geniuses But Run By Idiots” by Jeff Foxworthy-Incorrect Attribution!
Summary of eRumor:
A commentary titled “I’m with Jeff” or “A Country Founded By Geniuses But Run By Idiots” that was supposedly written by Jeff Foxworthy uses the comedians famous “you might be a redneck” joke setup to blast modern politics.
The Truth:
This commentary didn’t come from Jeff Foxworthy.
It’s been making the rounds under the title “I’m With Jeff” or “A Country Founded By Geniuses But Run By Idiots” since as early as October 2014 — but it didn’t actually come from Jeff Foxworthy.
The commentary was published by blogger Fitz Simmons in early 2013 at his blog site, Politically True. However, Simmons’ name was quickly dropped from the post, and it was circulated without an author named throughout 2013.
But, by early 2014, Jeff Foxworthy’s name was quickly added to the piece to give it more credibility given that it borrowed his famous “you might be a redneck” joke setup.
Some blog posts that feature the “I’m With Jeff” commentary claim that he made the comments when asked about his thoughts on President Obama during an interview. We weren’t able to find any record of Foxworthy actually say that in an interview or in his standup routine.
Jeff Foxworthy has been a vocal supporter of conservative politics and Christian causes in the past. In 2012, he supported Mitt Romney’s presidential bid and campaigned with him across southern states. That same year he described his Christian beliefs in an appearance on Glenn Beck’s The Blaze.
However, his standup routine and public personae has historically been far less divisive than the “A Country Founded by Geniuses But Run By Idiots” commentary.
Given all that, we’re classifying this one as incorrect attribution.