So Politicians Lie; So What?

I told someone that one of the things I do as a Content Validity Analyst is to determine the likelihood of politicians telling the truth in their statements. Her response was “So all politicians lie; why do we need a specialist to determine that?”

Everyone Lies; So What?

If you’re going to take the stance that all politicians lie, so what’s the point in analyzing their words, then I must remind you that all people lie, regardless of profession.  Are we going to just stop trusting people completely, assuming that what they are saying is probably a lie? Or do we blindly trust that everyone is always sincere in everything they say so forget about the possibility one is being untruthful.

Credibility Matters.

If you’re going to be electing the next President of the United States, or Congressman or Senator, don’t you want the person you’re voting for to be credible?  If he or she is lying about something on the campaign trail, you must assume they will also lie about things if elected to office.

White Lie or Big Whopper?

Lying about your weight on a driver’s license can be overlooked. Lying that your mother-in-law’s meatloaf is delicious is an acceptable social lie. Lying about ethics, foreign policy, experience, safety of the American people, finances and other important issues is not something we should lower our standards to accept.

Use the Science.

The art of deception detection has been studied for decades. The accurate information about uncovering untruths is based on science and practical experience.  Accurate methods are not based on gut instinct or popular myths about deception markers, but have been proven to be foretelling if someone is withholding or fabricating information.

If you have access to a specialist or analyst who is professionally trained to spot truth and lies, why wouldn’t you take advantage of those skills? Collusion is one explanation for not wanting to know the truth. If you know about someone’s falsehoods you may need to take action or your own world may need to be rocked.

Honesty is the Best Policy

If you’re an American voter you have a responsibility to do your homework and then vote for the politician whose views and policies most closely align with your own.  That is a tall order.  Personally I don’t have much regard for liars. I am going to look at all candidates, on both sides of the aisle and evaluate them for truth and credibility, so I can make an informed decision.

If you want to read some forensic statement analyses that I’ve conducted on some of the candidates, you can find them here.

If you’re a politician who would like to know about your own performance or that of your opponents, learn more about my services here.