Can a politician ever tell the truth? If he gave his opinion of smokers or gun lovers, he would lose both Re--

Question

publican and Democratic votes, (Yes, some democrats still smoke). So no, a politician can never be completely honest if he wants to be elected. But someone has to be elected to look after the country, so someone HAS to avoid telling all the truth in order to be elected. Sad, but one of the facts of life.

Answer 1

The truth hurts, both for the politician's electoral chances and what the American people want to hear.  Talented liars win at the polls and people who are either too ethical or just lousy prevaricators tend to be also-rans in primaries or third-party candidates.

Some politicians, however, make no bones about their contempt for smokers and gun owners.  Note the high cigarette taxes in New York and Michigan.  Note the hateful rhetoric mayor Michael Bloomberg has hurled at gun rights people.

Answer 2

Obama smokes, so he  understands.

http://www.reason.com/UserFiles/Image/js...

Answer 3

It's possible to tell the truth and evade giving an answer or misdirect a listener. Try it sometime, it's great practice.

Answer 4

yea, Bill Clinton called that "parsing". (to parse ones language is to use it to say one thing, and mean another so that technically you didnt lie.)

I see that the politiciansd and businesses in control are up to stealing from us, and exempting themselves from taxation, and having to obery laws, and now even to go warring on other nations, mass-murdering so we can be feared as the new REICH...and all of his is SO rotten that if anyone spoke the truth of it, those that are in office would just make your comments (or YOU!) disappear.

Answer 5

Meh. I think you could deal with those things without lying. For instance, if someone asks you about smoking, you can say "I support keeping tobacco legal", or something like that. You don't have to launch into a tirade about how bad for you it is. I don't think a politician's personal opinions on anything other than political issues is even relevant, for the most part. Who cares if he dislikes gun nuts? As long as he's not trying to take away their right to bear arms no one should care.