Blatant lies. I don't think this is the future of politics.
Checking facts is not all that difficult any more. Given blogs, news feeds, FB and our own e-mail accounts, disseminating the correction to the lies perpetrated on the campaign trail, is also actually very easy.
I'm not talking about differing points of view. Although some loud mouths will argue vigorously that the positions or substance of that POV are a fact or a lie. The truth of the matter is that differing view points are fine, it's that those view points lead the political speech writers to create lies to somehow validate their POV as a truth. Easy example: The right to health care or not is in part a philosophical issue based along party lines. But claiming that the HCA will implement death panels...well that's a blatant lie to support the party line.
Fact checking is relatively easy. What is not necessarily easy is getting people, the constituency, to demand honesty from those would be leaders who are delivering the lies. It's not easy to have the public read the facts that are so easy to find, and present the lies back to their political candidates for clarification. What's also not easy is for the constituency (who really, really want their guy to win) to admit even to themselves, that they have been lied to by the politician wooing their vote. It seems so...well....blatant!
I understand the needs to stick one's head in the sand or press their fingers in their ears and sing "lalalalala" It's actually a political survival instinct to ignore the blatant lies that are pointed out, and to hang onto the platform issues that sound and feel good. At some point the constituent simply doesn't know how to justify that one and only vote they have to give to their chosen candidate, so it's easier to ignore the lies that have been pointed out.
But the lies are so blatant. It appears that these politicians expect the public to elect officials that lie the best! But you know what......the times they are a changing.
The younger voters are not cynical enough to accept the lies as business as usual and the way things must be done. Ryan's recent attempt to promote blatant lies is old school. Those lies are stupid...so easily found out. Why would Ryan treat them like fools and then expect their vote? This game that every knows is being played, will be designated to the "steam heap" pile. Just because it's always be done, will no longer be the acceptable method for running for office and garnering votes.
I think in this era of technology and information, that the future of politics will hold that these verifiable lies will become a huge liability. Facts and truths will no longer be a liability, but a strength of the candidate running for office.
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