The Mirror
In his ‘Farewell Address,’ leaving office, George Washington reminded Americans of a simple truth: “Honesty is the best policy.” And for years when a politician made the mistake of telling a lie he paid a price.
During the Vietnam War Lyndon Johnson told people we were winning – the Tet Offensive proved he was spinning a tale. Johnson paid a price.
Nixon beat George McGovern in a landslide in 1972, lied about Watergate, two years later was out of office.
Years rolled by. Times changed.
Trump lost Iowa and Wisconsin to Ted Cruz in the primary, faced a showdown in Indiana; the owner of the National Enquirer David Pecker sent an old grainy photograph of Ted Cruz’s father with Lee Harvey Oswald to Trump lawyer-fixer Michael Cohen – staring down at the blurry photo Cohen called Pecker, asked if he was sure that was Cruz’ father?
‘Does it matter? All we have to do is allege it is.’
Cohen walked down the hall into Trump’s office. Trump called Pecker, National Enquirer ran the photograph, the media ignored it; on Fox News Trump railed ‘His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald. Nobody brings it up. They don’t even talk about that. That was reported and nobody talks about it’ – a lie shot across the internet. Cruz lost Indiana.
Trump debated Hillary in Las Vegas – moderator Chris Wallace challenged Trump: ‘You’ve been warning at rallies the election is rigged.’
Hillary said: ‘Donald lost Iowa, lost Wisconsin, said the primary was rigged against him…he didn’t get an Emmy for his TV program, tweeted the Emmy’s were rigged.’
Trump said: ‘Should have gotten the Emmy.’
After Covid was spotted in China a reporter asked Trump: ‘Are you concerned?’
‘No, not at all. We have it totally under control. It’s going to be just fine.’
At his first debate with Biden, Trump needled Biden, hammered Biden, boasted he’d done a ‘phenomenal’ job fighting the plague – face pale Biden mocked: ‘This is the man who told you maybe you can inject bleach into your arm.’
Trump lost that fall, said the election was stolen, now, running a third time, leads every Republican in the primary.
Lies no longer matter.
How did that happen? It’s easy to point the finger at Trump, say, He did that – it’s his fault. But politicians don’t mold Americans, they mirror Americans; people cheer lies, so politicians lie. The roots of that problem run a lot deeper than Trump.
The Mirror
In his ‘Farewell Address,’ leaving office, George Washington reminded Americans of a simple truth: “Honesty is the best policy.” And for years when a politician made the mistake of telling a lie he paid a price.
During the Vietnam War Lyndon Johnson told people we were winning – the Tet Offensive proved he was spinning a tale. Johnson paid a price.
Nixon beat George McGovern in a landslide in 1972, lied about Watergate, two years later was out of office.
Years rolled by. Times changed.
Trump lost Iowa and Wisconsin to Ted Cruz in the primary, faced a showdown in Indiana; the owner of the National Enquirer David Pecker sent an old grainy photograph of Ted Cruz’s father with Lee Harvey Oswald to Trump lawyer-fixer Michael Cohen – staring down at the blurry photo Cohen called Pecker, asked if he was sure that was Cruz’ father?
‘Does it matter? All we have to do is allege it is.’
Cohen walked down the hall into Trump’s office. Trump called Pecker, National Enquirer ran the photograph, the media ignored it; on Fox News Trump railed ‘His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald. Nobody brings it up. They don’t even talk about that. That was reported and nobody talks about it’ – a lie shot across the internet. Cruz lost Indiana.
Trump debated Hillary in Las Vegas – moderator Chris Wallace challenged Trump: ‘You’ve been warning at rallies the election is rigged.’
Hillary said: ‘Donald lost Iowa, lost Wisconsin, said the primary was rigged against him…he didn’t get an Emmy for his TV program, tweeted the Emmy’s were rigged.’
Trump said: ‘Should have gotten the Emmy.’
After Covid was spotted in China a reporter asked Trump: ‘Are you concerned?’
‘No, not at all. We have it totally under control. It’s going to be just fine.’
At his first debate with Biden, Trump needled Biden, hammered Biden, boasted he’d done a ‘phenomenal’ job fighting the plague – face pale Biden mocked: ‘This is the man who told you maybe you can inject bleach into your arm.’
Trump lost that fall, said the election was stolen, now, running a third time, leads every Republican in the primary.
Lies no longer matter.
How did that happen? It’s easy to point the finger at Trump, say, He did that – it’s his fault. But politicians don’t mold Americans, they mirror Americans; people cheer lies, so politicians lie. The roots of that problem run a lot deeper than Trump.