Right up and down the ballot. Brought to you by Frank Luntz telling Bill O’Reilly last night that you cannot use the l-word in American politics. You can use “untruth” “mislead” “deceive” but never, never “lie.”
Frank is smart, I’ve talked to him several times over the years and I get what he is saying. Folks put up their psychological shields when they hear “lie” or “liar.”
And I submit that is precisely the problem that has brought us to this sorry state on the national, state, and local level. We are in complete and utter denial about the choices our society faces, so we content ourselves by pretending that picking amongst staggering mediocrities is some sort of meaningful policy directive. As a result, we get the government we deserve. Mendacious, solipsitic, and amoral.
