Goldfarb Vs. Goldfarb: A Tale Of One Name
Michael Goldfarb, radio documentarian, meet Michael Goldfarb, McCain campaign spokesman. The two Goldfarbs talk about how they are often confused for one another.
SCOTT SIMON, host:
We have a couple of new guests joining us now. One is in London. Your name, sir?
Mr. MICHAEL GOLDFARB (Writer; Radio Documentarian): Michael Goldfarb.
SIMON: And our other guest is on the phone from Crystal City, Virginia. Your name, sir?
Mr. MICHAEL GOLDFARB (Spokesman, McCain Campaign): Also, Michael Goldfarb.
SIMON: Well, Michael Goldfarb meet Michael Goldfarb. Welcome to Weekend Edition. Now you're here for no particular reason other than the fact that you share that name and you've written for online publications. We're uniters here, OK, not dividers. We're not interested in your politics, which may be different. But your locations may give away that one of you works for John McCain. That's the Virginia Michael Goldfarb. And one is a writer and radio documentarian who's been heard on NPR, the Michael Goldfarb in London. Gentlemen, thanks very much, both of you, for being with us.
Mr. GOLDFARB (Writer; Radio Documentarian): Pleasure, Scott.
Mr. GOLDFARB (Spokesman, McCain Campaign): Likewise.
SIMON: You've never met before, right? Never.
Mr. GOLDFARB (Spokesman, McCain Campaign): We have not. But I grew up listening to Michael Goldfarb from London, so I'm familiar with his work.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. GOLDFARB (Writer; Radio Documentarian): I always knew that I was old enough to be your father, Michael, but you didn't have to rub it in quite so quickly.
SIMON: Are you gentlemen confused with each other?
Mr. GOLDFARB (Spokesman, McCain Campaign): It does happen from time to time. I have gotten some of Mr. Goldfarb's mail in the past and the occasional joke from some of my fellow conservatives who will forward his stories to me.
Mr. GOLDFARB (Writer; Radio Documentarian): It's reached a critical mass for me, Michael. I had posted something, this item was picked up by Gawker, and someone accused me of being you. And then I got an email from, I think, an old college classmate of yours who now writes for the New Yorker called Lauren Collins.
SIMON: Of course, it's irresistible to Google this. There's a Michael Goldfarb who is in the Vanderbilt School of Engineering. There is an attorney in Seattle named Michael Goldfarb. I wonder if you folks are ever confused with them, either.
Mr. GOLDFARB (Spokesman, McCain Campaign): I do see the news alerts for the Michael Goldfarb from Vanderbilt University. He seems to do some, actually, very fascinating and important work in developing prosthetic limbs for soldiers. So, he seems to - please don't take this as an insult, Mr. Goldfarb, but I think he does perhaps more important work than either one of us.
SIMON: Now that you've met? Are your lives transformed?
Mr. MICHAEL GOLDFARB (Writer; Radio Documentarian): My only real concern - I'm happy to have met you this way, Michael - is that should your candidate win the presidency, that you're going to end up either as press secretary or national security adviser, and if you get either of those appointments that you make it clear from the beginning that you are not me.
Mr. GOLDFARB (Spokesman, McCain Campaign): Well, when they come for the indictments, I might, I might (unintelligible) confusion.
(Soundbite of laughter)
SIMON: Well, Michael Goldfarb and Michael Goldfarb, thanks so much.
Mr. GOLDFARB (Spokesman, McCain Campaign): Thank you.
Mr. MICHAEL GOLDFARB (Writer; Radio Documentarian): Thank you, Scott:
(Soundbite of song "Just The Two Of Us")
Mr. BILL WITHERS: (Singing) Just the two of us, We can make it if we try. Just the two of us.
Unidentified Backing Singers: (Singing) Just the two of us.
Mr. WITHERS: (Singing) Just the two of us, Building them castles in the sky. Just the two of us, you and I.
SIMON: This is NPR News.
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