Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories Edge Toward The Mainstream

There are two kinds of conspiracy theories: The ones about the Illuminati and about mysterious "chemtrails," which lurk forever in the online twilight zone, favored by a hard core of fringe believers; and the ones that, like the equally ludicrous speculation about Barack Obama's nativity, break into the nation's political conversation.

The repugnant and absurd theories about the massacre of children in Newtown, Connecticut, last month seem like an obvious candidate for the first category, simply too insane to gain any sort of wide acceptance. But some of the factors that can bring theories in from the fringe appear to be driving its unexpected surge this month: a connection to America's intensely polarized political culture in general, and a message that appeals to a long-standing fear among gun owners, in particular.

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