Is Sarah Palin a Lying Liar?

One thing I want to say and I thought it deserved a post of its own (although it's an extension of my last post).  I do not, I repeat not, think that Sarah Palin is a liar. I have seen several articles recently calling her a liar.

I think that Sarah Palin and John McCain are good people who love their country.  Unfortunately, in today's political environment it has become necessary to spin, to obfuscate and to deflect.  One of the fascinating things about the movie Being There (with Peter Sellers) was that as a mental midget, Chance the Gardener told the truth straight up. But, no one believed he would actually be so direct and truthful, so they all put their own spin on everything he said.  We expect politicians to do these things. Their advisors tell them they have to to win.  John McCain was reluctant to talk about his Viet Nam experience until his handlers made him play it up.  Now, it's the answer to every question.   But, I wonder how he really feels about it.  And even though John McCain puts his "I'm John McCain and I approved this message" at the end of all his ads. I wonder if John McCain really approves of the message.  I'm guessing not.  I heard him answer a question today about the community organizer digs thrown at Obama during the convention.  Then, I heard what I believe is the real John McCain (the old John McCain).  He praised Obama's sacrifice. He praised community organizers. But, he said something very telling. 

WOODRUFF: Senator, at the Republican convention, a couple of speakers, most notably your running mate, vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin , made somewhat derisive comments about Senator Obama’s experience as a community organizer. I’ve heard you say you haven’t taken that tone. So I guess my question is, are you saying to others in your campaign and your supporters that that’s not the kind of language you want to hear?

McCain:  First of all, this is a tough business. Second of all, I think the tone of this whole campaign would have been very different if Senator Obama had accepted my request for us to appear in town hall meetings all over America, the same way Jack Kennedy and Barry Goldwater had agreed to do so. I know that, because I’ve been in enough campaigns.

Look, Governor Palin was responding to the criticism of her inexperience and her job as a mayor in a small town. That’s what she was responding to.

Of course I respect community organizers. Of course I respect people who serve their community. And Senator Obama’s record there is outstanding. And so I praise anyone who serves this nation in capacities that, frankly, we all know that could have been far more financially rewarding to individuals, rather than doing what they did.

So, there we have it.  It's a tough business. My conclusion is that by prefacing his answer with that he is saying since this is a tough business, this type of tit for tat has to be done.

The problem of intentionally deceiving people without out and out lying is you begin to forget where the line is and I think that's what has happend to the McCain campaign.  Not that they don't know what they are putting out is lies but they are justifying it in their own minds by saying everybody does it and it's necessary to win.  I don't think either John McCain or Sarah Palin would be doing these things of their own accord, or at least I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.  They probably feel they cannot afford to stand up to the experts around them telling them "This is how you win an election.  It's worked in the past.  It'll work again. Trust me.  I know what I'm doing.".  

I trust John McCain and Sarah Palin are basically honest people.  I trust that they want what's best for the country.  I trust that they think they are what's best for the country. But, I don't trust their judgment and I hate the political system they've allowed to manipulate them.  If they're willing to do this to win a campaign, I have to wonder how they'd govern the country.  The mentality that the end justifies the means is one that I've seen too many times over the last couple of years and I'm sick of it.  I hope the American people are, too.