Half-truths, Lies, and Exaggerations

Diogenes, the Greek philosopher alleged to have walked around with his lamp looking for an honest man, is a pitiful image. But even more to be pitied is any American voter looking for a crumb of truth in the campaign ads and debates of this presidential election. If you haven’t visited The Annenberg Political Fact Check in search of the truth, you should grab your lamp and click the link.

The most unfortunate thing about the half-truths, lies and exaggerations that blare forth from our televisions and radios, find their way our mailboxes, and flow around the Internet in our e-mails is that they work. They appeal to our desire for simplicity and our impatience with the difficult task of trying to understand complex problems that require complex solutions. We have no patience for a candidate who will try to explain the complicated details involved in fixing our health care system or working with other governments to resolve issues like terrorism, global warming, arms reduction, etc.

Even if we had the patience, it is difficult to find media access to the truth. There are some exceptions, but they are hidden away in the deep recesses of the Internet, on the shelves of libraries, or in scholarly journals that almost no one reads. There is even some truth to be found in the halls of Congress during the committee hearings, and once in a great while, the mass media presents a truly good documentary or scholarly discussion.

I have already given up looking for honest politicians during an election year, but I still hope that once they get elected they will stop campaigning and put aside the cute little digs they make at each other. I hope they will do the job we are electing them to do, to understand the complex problems that confront us and use their common talents to solve them. That is what the founding fathers did so long ago in that sweltering room in Philadelphia when the fate of our nation rested in their ability to craft a government even though they were divided on many issues. They had the humility to admit that their efforts were not perfect, but they gave it their best and made provision for it to grow with our nation and our understanding.

So, in voting this year, I have put aside my search for honesty. I will put up with all the silly campaign stuff; I just won’t let it influence my vote. I’ll take my lamp to the candidates’ web sites and look for plans that are detailed. I’ll listen for a hint of humility when they give their speeches. I’ll ask myself if this candidate has the ability to compromise when compromise is necessary for the greater good. I’ll listen for vision because without vision we are bereft of goals, and without goals there is no progress. I’ll do my best to vote intelligently, but they sure don’t make it easy.