Mustang
Gold Member
- Jan 15, 2010
- 9,257
- 3,230
I've heard that one of the reasons Trump was so popular on the campaign trail back in 2015 and 2016 was because he seemed so unscripted compared to the average politician who seems to be so careful about what he says and how he says it. That's even more true in a president as anyone who's ever listened to Obama, or Bush, or Clinton, or Bush 41, or even Reagan speak can attest. They all spoke slowly and deliberately, often pausing, apparently in an effort to think of the right word to use. Of course, there's very good reasons for that, but I can understand the attraction of wanting to listen to someone who seems to speak freely without seeming to measure every word because it can appear to be calculating in a negative sense.
Unfortunately, there's a major downside to what, on the surface at least, appears to be Trump's seemingly more open and less contrived speaking style. It's this: a complete lack of honesty. You see, if Trump was one of those people who was refreshingly forthright, even if what he said was painfully and problematically honest in much the same way a small child says something that embarrasses his or her parents on occasion, it wouldn't be all that big of a deal. But alas, Trump not only lies (tells falsehoods) with such frequency as to astonish the causal liar, he also fabricates stories out of whole cloth.
While it was common knowledge that this was Trump's MO as a private citizen since the 1970s when he was an up and coming real estate entrepreneur as well as a Manhattan bon vivant, I don't think most people expected Trump to carry that personality trait right into the WH. But he has. I guess it's simply too ingrained. This is something that simply cannot continue unabated for four years.
Let me see if I can put it a different way. It's one thing for any president to occasionally speak obliquely in such a way as to sidestep the truth. And everyone knows that because some facts are open to interpretation, all politicians can and do put a more positive (or negative) spin on those set of facts. But both of these things are completely different than constantly and blatantly lying and making up stories day after day. Forget for the moment that people are going to tire of this very soon. It's also going to be highly problematic for governing because even political allies will come to disbelieve what you say. And as for international relations, once our allies and adversaries come to believe that the president's word is meaningless, Trump will have lost that ability to sway people to his point of view. And finally, any president who lies this frequently risks legal problems if and when he ever lies under oath or instructs any of his staff to do the same thing.
I guess what it comes down to is this: I don't expect Trump to change a lifelong habit. In fact, I honestly don't believe he can. And if he can't change, and he continues to lie and make up stories like he does now, I believe he will be removed from office even if it's the Republicans who lead the charge.
Unfortunately, there's a major downside to what, on the surface at least, appears to be Trump's seemingly more open and less contrived speaking style. It's this: a complete lack of honesty. You see, if Trump was one of those people who was refreshingly forthright, even if what he said was painfully and problematically honest in much the same way a small child says something that embarrasses his or her parents on occasion, it wouldn't be all that big of a deal. But alas, Trump not only lies (tells falsehoods) with such frequency as to astonish the causal liar, he also fabricates stories out of whole cloth.
While it was common knowledge that this was Trump's MO as a private citizen since the 1970s when he was an up and coming real estate entrepreneur as well as a Manhattan bon vivant, I don't think most people expected Trump to carry that personality trait right into the WH. But he has. I guess it's simply too ingrained. This is something that simply cannot continue unabated for four years.
Let me see if I can put it a different way. It's one thing for any president to occasionally speak obliquely in such a way as to sidestep the truth. And everyone knows that because some facts are open to interpretation, all politicians can and do put a more positive (or negative) spin on those set of facts. But both of these things are completely different than constantly and blatantly lying and making up stories day after day. Forget for the moment that people are going to tire of this very soon. It's also going to be highly problematic for governing because even political allies will come to disbelieve what you say. And as for international relations, once our allies and adversaries come to believe that the president's word is meaningless, Trump will have lost that ability to sway people to his point of view. And finally, any president who lies this frequently risks legal problems if and when he ever lies under oath or instructs any of his staff to do the same thing.
I guess what it comes down to is this: I don't expect Trump to change a lifelong habit. In fact, I honestly don't believe he can. And if he can't change, and he continues to lie and make up stories like he does now, I believe he will be removed from office even if it's the Republicans who lead the charge.
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