Why Do We Let Politicians Get Away With Lying?

Conor Friedersdorf has a sobering take on the current state of American politics:

Politicians have always lied because they’ve always had powerful incentives to do so. Over time, some level of mendacity became an expected part of the process; for American voters, it only seemed pragmatic to accept some lies from candidates, else who would there be to support? Only particularly egregious mendacity was penalized under the evolving norm. But “particularly egregious” reling ative to what? For politicians, the incentive to lie just a bit more always existed, and so the expected level of lies kept getting ratcheted up to new levels.
It’s now easier than ever to get elected despite telling brazen lies. But on some level Americans are aware of what’s gone on, and so they accord decreasing amounts of respect to elected leaders. The conventional wisdom is that in order to be a successful politician these days, you’ve got to gradually compromise many of your core principles and perhaps your integrity.
Ask yourself this question: Can anyone become president without lying? Without misrepresenting their opponent? Without using people as a means to an end? I don’t think anyone can. And I have no idea how a nation would go about reversing the ratchet effect successfully. I’ll be voting for a third party this November, but I don’t really expect it to make any difference.
Most Americans have grown so used to mendacity that it’s taken for granted. I wonder if, despite its inevitability, we’d be better off if we raged against betrayals of what we believe is right a bit more.

Read more: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/why-do-we-let-politicians-get-away-with-lying/