Do you think a politician can be successful without ever lying to the public?

Question

I don't believe politicians can always be honest as they need votes. what do you think?

Answer 1

Not as long as the "Public" doesn't want to hear the Truth.

Answer 2

There's an old joke: How can you tell when a politician is lying? Answer: you can see his lips move.

Politicians lie in numerous ways. Sometimes, they stretch the truth, sometimes they only tell you part of the story.

One of the reasons politicians have to lie is that the intellectual capacity and attention span of the American public has declined so drastically. Back in the 1800s, the Lincoln-Douglas debates were held at a college level. The issues were discussed in an intellectually demanding way that required a vocabulary of someone in college.

However, the George H. Bush - Bill Clinton debates were reduced to about the 7th grade level, and consisted mostly of sound bites. Each candidate would only answer in the most cloyingly middle-of-the-road manner. The goal obviously was not to say something perceptive, but simply to avoid saying something that the press could use against them.

The press is always hoping a candidate will misspeak so they will have a juice sound bite to satiate the dumbed-down MTV generation.

As long as the American public flits from one idea to another like a $20 hooker goes from one customer to the next, we will never have a politician tell us the real truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Answer 3

I am convinced that the American public has become to lazy to do anything to change the status quo. You always observe the low voter numbers at the polls after ever election. What kind of message send to our elected officials. That we're a bunch of apathetic fools who will do nothing but shoot out collective mouths off for a couple of days and that's the end of it. At any level of politics, officials are so entrenched with the corresponding level of business that until the day that there is a major paradigm shift in the way that politicians think ethically, or voters do, nothing will change, lying or otherwise. You also have to take into consideration matters of national defense and are you at liberty to speak freely of those matters or do you deflect them. Do you consider that lying or is that avoiding the question. I believe at the most basic level, people have forgotten how to be honest.

Answer 4

I am a Democrat, I want honest politicians,, I am sick and tired of the liars that are running our government

Answer 5

A politician should never lie to anyone . Why do we think that it's normal for them to lie . ha ha ha ha , wait let me catch my breath . Do you think it's alright to be lied to and would you vote for a liar ? You have to wonder ,
what else will he do , to this country and to you ?

Answer 6

Doubtful. For one thing, there are certain things they just can not legally talk about.

Also, some people consider Carter to be the most honest president we ever had and his presidency imploded.

Answer 7

Just tell em what they wanna hear. That seems to be the trick to getting elected and then again most people wouldn't know the truth till it comes back and bites them in the butt. I agree with you completely .