I am SO old---

[Atticus]

---I remember when getting caught in a LIE---not a "fib" or "exaggeration"---was considered a bad thing for a politician and could end a career.

"Scratch a liar, find a thief" was a widely accepted truism.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Exhibit One: Alger Hiss

Alger Hiss was convicted of perjury in 1950, following a lengthy espionage ... was headed to prison in Atlanta for lying to a federal grand jury.

[Ferrets are Cool]

2. Keeping with the theme....sorta

I'm so old, I can remember having to clean the dragonflys and horseflys from the radiator grill.

[Xipe Totec]

12. If you cross the border from Mexico to the US, the grackles will clean the grill for you for free nt

[txwhitedove]

18. Yep, I cleaned grasshoppers from Grandpa's truck grill.

[twodogsbarking]

3. I remember when you had to be 12 to buy cigarettes.

Snuff was available at any age. Mint dirt.

[Maine Abu El Banat]

6. My Jr.High

Had a student smoking area

[Prairie_Seagull]

13. With a note from the rents. (what my kids call Parents) n/t

[twodogsbarking]

17. Cigarette machines were plentiful. No age limit there.

[housecat]

19. vending machines 25 cents

[trof]

32. With 2 pennies IN the cellophane pack because the smokes were 23 cents.

[housecat]

34. I forgot that

[calimary]

37. And a pay phone cost a dime.

I remember a radio news executive who loved gushing about the beauty and simplicity of radio. “All you need is a dime and a telephone and you’re on the air!”

Back then, anyway, that’s all it took.

[Polybius]

4. Ronald Reagan used to say that he didn't dye his hair

So it must be before then. Either that or he wasn't caught in the lie until his second term.

[RocRizzo55]

5. Nixon said that he could not lie

So it goes back at least that far.

[jaxexpat]

8. You've just answered the OP question.

Our current beast of deception taken for granted in politics stretches its roots back to the get-out-of-jail-free license given Nixon in the Watergate era, as compensation for the fatuities that led to and maintained the Viet Nam war. It was a "free white teen" when Reagan, then Gingrich, fertilized the young Kraken with intelligence-insulting fables passing for wisdom as it sought to destroy Clinton's legitimacy. It grew so powerful it blatantly installed Bush* in a "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, you can't believe anyone in D.C." both-siderist frenzy, hitting a hard replay with the Afghanistan/Iraq two-fer invasion. Feasting on the Tea Party and Birther movements it totally outgrew any attempt to hide its obvious disregard for sophistication or even rudimentary comprehension of the simplest science. Finally, a raging destroyer of worlds, it stood proud and tallish, a fitting accompaniment to the carnival spiel of TFG.

Currently the population is pretty well allergic to trust, finding most of its comfort in a reckless alliance with cynicism.

[malthaussen]

11. Eloquent, and I don't think you're exactly wrong...

... but we should remember that the Viet Nam lies started with LBJ, and he got freely out of jail until Tet made the media wake up and smell the coffee.

-- Mal

[jaxexpat]

20. Yep and that's why they let Nixon off easy.

I thought I made that clear in my reply. I guess clarity remains elusive.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

22. Modern corporate media scratches a political liar...and runs the other way. Why??

Used to be journalists would run TO the liar and expose the lie! Made their careers. Think Wood and Bernie.

Now so many lies they obviously have no time! 😂

[malthaussen]

27. There has been a strange change in the power relation.

Used to be, politicians and celebrities and whatnot would beg the media for time. Now, the media begs these people for "access." What has caused this? Perhaps competition -- there are now so many "news" outlets, it's a seller's market. If you don't make someone look good, he'll take his bat and ball and play elsewhere.

-- Mal

[plimsoll]

7. You are forgetting the most important modern rule.

It’s OK if you’re a Republican.

I’d like to say that’s sarcasm, but we all know that’s how they behave.

[hay rick]

9. No sarcasm, no hyperbole.

Most Republicans are now unfit to participate in democracy, but here we are. Democracy is useless if leaders have no incentive to speak honestly to the electorate.

[malthaussen]

10. You forgot "misstatement" and "misrepresentation."

The former is apparently meant to evoke "mistake" without accusing the authority of being mistaken, but I'm not sure how the latter avoids the stigma of an outright lie.

I understand that the media want to be careful not to make actionable statements, but this verges on wanting to avoid seditious libel, which is cowardly in an era when the truth is a defense.

-- Mal

[keithbvadu2]

28. and 'misspoke' and the non-apology apology.

and 'misspoke' and the non-apology apology.

The art of the non-apology apology

I'm sorry you didn't like me kicking you.
vs
I'm sorry I kicked you.

[rubbersole]

14. Just obvious low moral character would be a disqualification.

Now it's a gop requirement. Clickbait is the key to fundraising/money. Rupert Murdoch's stain on humanity.

[Stuart G]

15. I am old enough to remember when I paid 25 cents to see a movie. (many years ago)

[Ligyron]

24. I'm old enough to remember "kiddie shows".

Saturday mornings of madness at neighborhood theaters with multiple features and plenty of cartoons when every once in awhile a host of the locally produced after school shows for children that almost all viewing area TV stations ran back then would show up and give away prizes and such. You could enjoy a whole morning's worth of offerings like The Three Stooges, Little Rascals, maybe Superman and plenty of cartoons with the likes of Popeye the Sailor Man and Bugs Bunny. That reminds me of how creepy some of those really old black and white cartoons from the 30's and 40's were. Essh...

Anyway, the noise level at those shows was enough to guarantee any adult unfortunate enough to been caught there a migraine.

Sometimes they'd have coupons along with the newspaper ads the theaters that you could cut out and get in for like a dime maybe.

Long gone now and the term "kiddie show" just conjures up something obscene today.

[twodogsbarking]

25. I remember it smelled like the YMCA locker room.

Some of the movies were serials and you had to come back the next week.

[keithbvadu2]

29. Mermaids in the 30s cartoons had nipples.

Mermaids in the 30s cartoons had nipples.

Many of the old cartoons were chopped up in later years, especially the way they portrayed the 'nips' and the 'huns' in WWll.

Betty Boop was a vamp and a tramp and kids laughed at it.

They pretty much understood what it all meant.

Now kindergartners understand what 'Let's Go Brandon' really means. Or what the words mean.

[homegirl]

30. I remember

and the Special Holiday Shows. Hundreds of kids screaming and going wild. Wonder if attendance at these shows was the inspiration for the book "Lord of the Flies?"

My grandfather always gave us tickets to the Holiday Shows.

[trof]

33. Aw, man? I got a quarter.

Walk to the neighborhood theater.
20 minutes.
15 cents admission, a Nickle for popcorn, a Nickle for the bus ride home (dark).
I spent that other nickel on either a Coke or a Three Musketeers bar and walked home in the dark.
I never told my mom.

[The Jungle 1]

16. We have to get back to the place where lying is not forgiven.

Trumps normalizing of lying has done great harm to this nation.
Integrity is gone.

[PatSeg]

21. Yes, instantly!

I've witnessed careers ended with just an implication of dishonesty, scandal, or corruption, not always justifiably. Now, it appears a republican truly can "shoot someone on Fifth Avenue" and not lose any votes. It is so bizarre. For some voters on the right, the only qualification that matters is not being a Democrat.

We live in very strange times.

[Thunderbeast]

23. Other things that ended political careers:

Acknowledging having suffered and recovered from depression.
Celebratory scream at an election night victory party.
Being seen wind surfing.
Having an affair on a boat.

All of these are child's play when compared to the current world of GQP candidates.

[Evolve Dammit]

26. Good examples

[homegirl]

31. You

called it! Thank you...

[BOSSHOG]

35. I can remember beer machines in barracks on Navy Bases and

on a funny note, I can remember shouting decades ago, good Lord Mick Jagger is 45 and on a naked note I can remember “streaking” on campus.

[nightwing1240]

39. I streaked once

it's how I actually met my wife lol I guess we both liked what we saw

[soldierant]

36. I'm so old my memory is getting hazy

but I certainly remember that being true for Democrats.

It's harder to remember it being true for any Republican/

I guess it eventually hurt Nixon, But it never hurt McCarthy. Or J. Edgar.

[Vinca]

38. I'm so old I remember decency.

[Stuart G]

40. Here is why lying is accepted today, & not in the past. The media thrives on it and makes it normal

...That is it, and that is all of it. When the media reports it over and over.............it seems...::

NORMAL, AND NORMAL, AND MORE NORMAL...........AND ACCEPTED AND ACCEPTED AND MORE ACCEPTED..


AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANT:........

.A HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ACCEPT THOSE LIES,

AND EVEN ENJOY THEM..PROOF YOU ASK?...THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT TRUMP'S RALLIES..

That's it and that's all of it....