But more importantly, we should ask what they lie about and when. Let’s look at the kinds of statements politicians make on the campaign trail.
There are factual statements about a current situation or condition in the country or the world. Statements like “Inflation is too high” or “The war overseas has gone on too long” can be fact-checked and judged against objective standards: How much inflation is too much? What are the historical standards for acceptable inflation or duration of a conflict? Those standards can be debated, updated as needed, and applied to the situation at hand.
Outside of factual statements, there are political promises about the future: “In my administration, I will _____ (fill in the blank with standard promises that politicians make every election season.)” Do these promises get broken after elections? Yes, frequently. However, they can be evaluated based on whether you, the voter, approve or disapprove of the promised result.
Then there are matters of opinion. Statements like “I think (believe) our education system is broken” express an individual opinion about a current condition without giving supporting facts or proposed remedies. The phrasing “think” or “believe” points toward a subjective feeling or personal appraisal of the subject matter by the individual speaking.
However, once elected, every public official owes the public honest statements and answers about their plans, objectives, and methods. There can be times when a national leader must be straight with the citizens in matters of great importance. “We must invade X because they have …” or “It is imperative that we take this public health measure to prevent the spread of Z” are the types of public pronouncements that must be accurate and honest. Failing to be accurate and honest erodes public trust, starts major national efforts on false premises, and leads the public to be disillusioned with their government. Like the boy crying wolf, too many lies can prevent public action when it really is needed.
As part of the effort to bring moderation to our civic life, we should evaluate candidates for office at all levels for honesty and integrity. It has been my observation that it is the extremists on both outer wings that feel the need to fabricate statements to get followers to adhere to their radical views or to demonize someone in opposition to them.
Vote for the honest candidates after evaluating the truth of their pronouncements. As mentioned in “The Moderates’ Manifesto” Chapter 8, page 106: “Don’t let liars lead.”