Peter Dutton, an Australian politician, was defeated in his efforts to become prime minister this week. But Peter Dutton, a popcorn seller in Austin, Tex., turned a fleeting moment of mistaken identity into fame on the other side of the world, plans for a new vacation and a potentially lucrative business opportunity. This being Twitter, most of the messages were less than pleasant. It has happened many times before, and will happen many times again. Ask George Papadopoulos, Jonathan Martin or Gerry Sandusky.

Source: New York Times August 24, 2018 09:51 UTC