Of the Dishonest and Disgraceful

The most revealing moment of the second Republican debate came not during the event reserved for the leading candidates (Donald Trump, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio), but during the previous debate, the one reserved for those candidates who are not doing so well in the polls. It happened during an exchange between veteran South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, both of whom have no chance of reaching the White House. In a show of bravado, Jindal criticized Graham’s lack of courage in confronting Obama. According to Jindal, Senate Republicans should actually threaten a government shutdown if Obama refuses to agree to a series of demands in the conservatives’ agenda. Graham, a cultured man, put his opponent in his place with an unforgettable phrase: “Bobby,” Graham said, “we’re running to be president of the United States, the most important job in the free world. With it comes a certain amount of honesty. I’m tired of telling people things they want to hear that I know we can’t do.”

Lasting no more than a few seconds, this was a very brief moment of moral lucidity in an age when honesty seems to have all but vanished in U.S. political campaigns. The Republican Party in particular has transformed itself into a true machine of half-truths. At least since George W. Bush, Republicans have fallen into the bad habit of issuing the populist lie. Rather than confronting their most radical voters with the truth — saying, for example, “it’s hugely irresponsible to threaten to shut down the government, and we’re not going to do that, no matter how unpopular this decision may prove amongst you” — Republicans seem stubbornly determined to resort to fallacy as a proselytizing tool. They do it because it’s politically profitable, but also because it’s easier. Why tangle yourself in the nuances of truth when easy applause is right within arm’s reach?

During the debate among those leading the polls, candidates resorted to a long list of lies. Practically all of them, from Trump to Fiorina, twirled around with the truth. In order to climb a little in the polls, candidates opted to lie in matters concerning foreign policy, the economy, and even their personal careers. Jeb Bush even tried to lie about his height. Before the debate, cameras captured him standing on his tiptoes to appear taller than he really is. Such is the Republican attraction to lying.

Of course, none of this is completely new. Assuming that yesterday’s politicians were somehow nobler or more honest is naïve. But there is something particularly rotten about 2015: a different type of insolence, an astonishing and, indeed, new lack of modesty.

The perfect example of this happened the day following last week’s debate. The main protagonist was that machine of nonsense called Donald Trump. After a forgettable night confronting his Republican opponents (which seems to have cost him at least 8 points in the polls), Trump traveled to New Hampshire for a town hall meeting. The first question came from a racist rant, courtesy of a man who assured Trump that Barack Obama wasn’t American and that he was in fact a Muslim. The truth, of course, is the opposite. Obama was born in Hawaii and is a Christian. What did Trump do in reaction to such racist ignorance? Did he correct him? Did he side with the uncomfortable truth, or did he stubbornly cling to the populist lie to get a cheap round of applause? In a perfect example of dishonesty, he of course chose the latter course of action. “We need this question,” Trump said before proceeding with his speech, not having corrected his interlocutor’s error.

In this case, history offers a notable contrast. Seven years ago, during the 2008 presidential campaign, the Republican candidate confronted an identical situation during a public forum in Minnesota. In that instance, a woman told John McCain that Obama was an “Arab,” and that it was impossible to trust him. McCain reacted with courage. He took the microphone away from the lady and corrected her, “No, ma’am. He’s a decent family man [and] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with…He’s not [an Arab].” At another point during the same event, McCain told the audience they shouldn’t fear Obama, “Obama is a decent person and a person you don’t have to be scared of as president of the United States.” In exchange for his honesty, McCain received a resounding boo. But he didn’t care: His commitment to decency and truth was more important than the pursuit of power. That was seven years ago. Judging on how unusual such decency has become, it seems to have happened a century ago.