The Guardian Describes Mendacious Mitt's Bid To Become Liar-in-Chief

[kpete]

Mendacious Mitt: Romney's bid to become liar-in-chief
Spin is normal in politics, but Romney is pioneering a cynical strategy of reducing fact and truth to pure partisanship
Michael Cohen

.........

Quite simply, the United States has never been witness to a presidential candidate, in modern American history, who lies as frequently, as flagrantly and as brazenly as Mitt Romney.

................

Romney has figured out a loophole – one can lie over and over, and those lies quickly become part of the political narrative, practically immune to "fact-checking". Ironically, the more Romney lies, the harder it then becomes to correct the record. Even if an enterprising reporter can knock down two or three falsehoods, there are still so many more that slip past.

It's reminiscent of the old line that a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on. In Romney's case, his lies are regularly corrected by media sources, but usually, in some antiseptic fact-checking article, or by Democratic/liberal voices who can be dismissed for their "partisan bent". Meanwhile, splashed across the front page of newspapers is Romney saying "Obamacare will lead to a government take-over of healthcare"; "Obama went on an apology tour"; or "the stimulus didn't create any jobs". Because, after all, it's what the candidate said and reporters dutifully must transcribe it.

Pointing out that Romney is consistently not telling the truth thus risks simply falling into the category of the usual "he-said, she-said" of American politics. For cynical reporters, the behavior is inevitably seen to be the way the political game is now played. Rather than being viewed and ultimately exposed as examples of a pervasive pattern of falsehoods, Romney's statements embed themselves in the normalized political narrative – along with aggrieved Democrats complaining that Romney isn't telling the truth. Meanwhile, the lie sticks in the minds of voters.



more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/21/mendacious-mitt-romney-bid-liar-in-chief

[longship]

1. Plus, we get no help at all from TV News

So called journalists. Bah!

R&K

[BumRushDaShow]

2. +infinity

K&R

[PCIntern]

3. BUT BUT BUT...they BOTH do it!!!!

of course...

I had to school my kid to STOP saying that...I could've cried.

[Angry Dragon]

4. Willard -- the great American liar and fraud

[spanone]

5. it's become a sad political system. polluted by lies. can it work?

dunno

[KharmaTrain]

6. The Rushpublicans Are Playing The Big Lie...

They figure that with their domination of hate and religious radio along with Faux Noise their echo chamber can and will attract enough people who hate President Obama enough that they'll not only believe any and every lie that said but propagate it as well. The dumbing down of this society has progressed to such a point that rational thought can be co-opted by the feeling of being part of some "uprising" or movement against the status quo...even when it means believing in things that are against your own best interests.

In the 24/7 news cycle we are victims of...a lie travels around the world while the truth is getting its pants on. Say it loud enough, often enough and in enough places and people will believe. In many cases the rushpublicans have conditions their hordes to want to believe...to thrive on poutrage and anger. These lies are meant to keep the anger growing. They know that if and when the truth catches up the short attention span of the corporate media will have moved onto the next lie.

[wandy]

7. Also keep in mind that a number of people hate Obama because...

of a physical charestic.
Of course thay can't come right out and say that so some lie or other is needed for them to show their hatred.

Obama was born in Keyna.
Obama is a Muslim.
Obama is a Socialist.
Obama eats dogs.
Obama is a (you're favaorit hatred here).
Really anything will do.

And don't think for a moment that this doesn't inspire the teaparty party to invent ever new things to dislike.
Obama is a (blablablabla). Great Karl let's see how the dittoheads like that one.

[dregstudios]

8. Rape and Pillage

Is there any doubt that a Romney administration would favor the rich and increase the income gap in our country? Mitt is a pariah in Mormon Clothing and will stop at nothing to expand an empire of greed for the rich in this country. Can his sacred Mormon underwear gain him enough donations to buy this election? See for yourself as Mitt dons his tighty-whities from the Good Lord Himself at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2012/05/mitt-romneys-magic-mormon-underwear.html

[progressoid]

9. Worked well for Reagan and Bush too.

[malaise]

10. Rachel first exposed Rmoney as a pathological LIAR and

now he has been further exposed as the outsourcing pioneer in chief.

[maddiemom]

14. This is how blatant it's become:

Romney can spin as many lies as he likes and the mainstream media doesn't challenge him. No former Republican candidate in my lifetime (from Eisenhower until today), including the 2000 disgrace, has ever been the weasel that Romney has. I didn't vote for, but highly respected John McCain. Romney displays his ignorance on most issues and sense of entitlement for all to see. He seems to feel that he somehow deserves to be President

[Rosa Luxemburg]

15. Of course this comes from the Foreign press!

[emulatorloo]

16. Excellent article, thank you. Rec!