The mainstream media are, of course, full of campaign "news", so it's easy to forget about how all this started... and that's a shame, because that's what this election is all about. On August 3, 2000, Governor George Bush took the podium at the Republican national convention to accept the nomination for President of the United States, and the unending series of lies began. Like these (emphasis mine):
For me, gaining this office is not the ambition of a lifetime, but it is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I will make the most of it. I believe great decision are made with care, made with conviction, not made with polls. I do not need to take your pulse before I know my own mind. I do not reinvent myself at every turn. I am not running in borrowed clothes. When I act, you will know my reasons. And when I speak, you will know my heart. I believe in tolerance, not in spite of my faith, but because of it. I believe in a God who calls us not to judge our neighbors but to love them. I believe in grace because I've seen it, and peace because I've felt it, and forgiveness because I've needed it.
Reading these words so many years and so many avoidable tragedies later is a lesson in irony that is overwhelming. Go ahead and read that speech, and see how many lies you can spot (and you might want a separate list for just the ironies). I suggest using a large pad of paper to keep track. You might want a calculator, too. I leave you with this:
So when I put my hand on the Bible, I will swear to not only uphold the laws of our land, I will swear to uphold the honor and dignity of the office to which I have been elected, so help me God.
Hat tip to Crooks and Liars.
