Has an American politician ever tried the controversial idea of being honest?

[Delta4Embassy]

Thinking of recent posts where some politician gets slammed for lying I'm always thinking, "Well ya, what'd ya expect, they're politicians." Which gave rise to wondering, has there ever been an honest politician? Would you vote for a Presidential candidate who only ever told you the truth regardless of party, or do you prefer neatly wrapped, pretty little lies?

I'd quit my job and volunteer every waking moment for an honest politician who'd rather loose but keep their honor, than win with none.

 

[PaintMyHouse]

Being honest doesn't win elections. Americans aren't interested in hearing anything like the truth.

The closest person to honest we've had in the White House in 50 years was Carter, and look at what happened to him when Reagan Morning in America came along. Americans want the Man From Hope, literally.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Examples of someone I'd support 100%:

"We're reinvading Iraq to resecure oil supplies."

I don't object to war in every instance. But if it's being justified with heaping piles of cowpoop I'm gonna automatically be against whoever's saying it. As with 'Iraq is about saving people on a mountain top.' Uh ya, then what about the gazillion other instances of people in extremus we didn't go rescue?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Being honest doesn't win elections. Americans aren't interested in hearing anything like the truth.

The closest person to honest we've had in the White House in 50 years was Carter, and look at what happened to him when Reagan Morning in America came along. Americans want the Man From Hope, literally.

Damn it, ya weren't supposed to tell me the truth. Don't you know what pleas for more, but more convincing lies look like?

 

[rightwinger]

Honest Abe?

 

[Mr. H.]

I think this is about as close as you'll get to finding one...

Glenn Poshard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And I'm a Republican!

 

[LoneLaugher]

Dennis Kucinich?

 

[bendog]

I think JFK and Goldwater sincerely planned a series of substantive debates over full fledged domestic liberalism v. what today would be libertarianism, though Goldwater was probably on the exact same page with Ike and JFK on using the federal govt to promote free markets with interstate highways and public funding of education.

 

[bendog]

Dennis Kucinich?

True, he is. Though I thought it was limited to politicians who could appeal nationally. I didn't agree with a lot of what Wellstone said, but I admired him a lot, and would gladly have voted for him .... but not for potus.

 

[rightwinger]

George Washington could not tell a lie

 

[dblack]

[ame=http://youtu.be/pYupSHWEJxA]XTC - The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ClosedCaption]

You ever just tell someone you're dating you just wanted sex? Why not? Because honesty doesnt work people like to be "messaged"

 

[Sallow]

Thinking of recent posts where some politician gets slammed for lying I'm always thinking, "Well ya, what'd ya expect, they're politicians." Which gave rise to wondering, has there ever been an honest politician? Would you vote for a Presidential candidate who only ever told you the truth regardless of party, or do you prefer neatly wrapped, pretty little lies?

I'd quit my job and volunteer every waking moment for an honest politician who'd rather loose but keep their honor, than win with none.

President Jimmy Carter.

Didn't work out so well.