Is being an 'honest liar' a big thing in politics.

Opponents of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump seem confused as to why people support politicians who seem like such blatant charlatans.

Perhaps though, this is the wrong way of thinking about it. When trust for politicians is low and people acceot that politics is a cynical game, maybe its an advantage to be seen as more obviously cynical.

Labour's leader Keir Starmer is now tanking in the polls in spite of making 'integrity' a big part of his pitch and people wonder way this isnt working but I think part of the answer lies in thw question. People know they are being sold a brand and find it patronising whereas Johnson is an entertaining blag artist.

People have a strange admiration for people who blag things and get away with it. If all politicians are liars, why not go with the one who tells the best lies? Do you want your bullshit bland and technocratic and sold to you via focus group or do you prefer your bullshit to have a human face?

I am not saying any of this is good but I think the centre left really suffers through following the polls and its focus group orientated politics.

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Kwek00 · 41-45, M

I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Politicians are salespeople.
To catch the voters that didn't look into the issues that are on the table currently, politicians have to sell them a narrative. And quite often, the best salesperson wins the vote. It's cynical, because it's not what elections are supposed to be about. But for some salespeople the only thing that counts is getting to that 50+1 % , and if you can't do it by rational discourse, you have to do it with spectacle. Because in politics everything goes.

I think it's more destructive when the segment of the poppulation that considers politics some kind of reality show that needs to drag them out of boredome becomes to big. That also means that that segment, doesn't really care about what is actually happening, they just want to be entertained. And in that sphere, demagogues have a higher chance of swaying the masses then annyone that tries to give an inteligent lecture on the toppic that needs to be decided.

For those idealists that are saddened by this... remember what Machiavelli said.

[quote][b]How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his preservation.[/b]

- Niccolo Machiavelli, [i]The Prince[/i][/quote]