# If Politicians All Got The "Liar, Liar" Disease, Dems Would Lose Ground **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 25, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512 "2010-06-25T18:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/61 "2010-06-25T23:45:28Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I think this would hurt the Republicans a lot more than it would hurt Democrats. Not because Democratic politicians are less sleazy and dishonest than Republicans, but simply because the Republican base seems to put a higher price on character than Democrats. This is pretty much what I feel. It’s not simply because I’m a liberal that I believe it would hurt the GOP more, but conservatives on a whole like to push the “we’re more moral than you” schtick and their voters are, on a whole, a lot less forgiving of dissent. Witness the fact that the Tea Baggers were borne out of discontent within the conservative base and you’ll see that the Liar, Liar curse would be devastating for the GOP > [@CalMeacham](#): > > We’d have a huge change in government, until we settled into some new style of prevarication, possibly by having candidates who are deliberately given ambiguities to mouth by their support staff simply so they _couldn’t_ lie or say inappropriate things. all we’d be doing is pushing knowledge of the real Way Things Are and the Responsibility for making policy to higher and less accessible levels, and we’d lose government transparency. Come on, aim higher than that! I’m hoping that instead of trying to find ways around the truth and reality, we’ll have people that accept it. Politicians who can say they don’t give a shit about their constituents but will do what they say to keep their jobs could get elected, and in fact I wish more people were like that. I don’t want to pretend I give a damn about filling some potholes when my street is fine, but I want you vote, so I will gladly give your town money to fill your potholes if you’ll vote for me. I think that is a much better result than trying to be deliberately ambiguous. > [@kingbighair](#): > > Perhaps you could offer some questions that would be damaging to Democrats. Just for fun, I compiled a small list of possible things _some_ of the Dems and Reps would say based on what I think are their true feelings: Dems 1. I don’t care about [minority group] but I will vote like I do to get elected 2. I’m atheist, like all smart people are. I’m sick and tired of pretending to be ultra-religious to be elected in this country. There’s no god and evolution is correct. Intelligent Design should be laughed at, not taught 3. Big corporations buy my vote as well, but at least I sometimes vote against them 4. I like sex, get over it. 5. I think guns should be banned but I’m not going to vote for it because too many of you are lunatics 6. The wealthy need to have some of their wealth redistributed 7. I hate terrorists and would torture them all if I could, but it leads to a slippery slope 8. I really don’t want so many brown people in this country but they are the future voters and we have to appease them 9. To hell with the debt, we need to pay the unions and special interest groups so they can keep us in power. Our kids and grandkids, by which I mean YOUR kids and grandkids, can pay for it because I’m too afraid to get voted out because I cut a social program 10. Global warming is real because science says so. No, I have no idea how it works, but most of my constituents believe it so I’ll pretend like I do too 11. Abortion. I don’t like it, but I don’t really consider fetuses people, so who gives a shit? Reps 1. I hate [minority group]. If I could, I’d have them all rounded up and killed 2. I’m a rich and powerful person. What do I need to believe in a god for? 3. I’m rich, a corporation is rich. That’s just how it is suckers, they pay my check, not you people 4. I really like sex, get over it 5. I want people armed. I don’t care if some [minority group] gets shot, it’s always their fault. Don’t piss of the guy with the gun 6. The wealthy, people like me, should be able to keep as much of their money as possible, and be allowed to make more without worrying about things like safety or the health of the poor 7. I hate terrorists and would torture them all if I could, the end 8. I’m actually racist. Fuck the brown people 9. I really don’t give a damn about the debt but it’s fun to bludgeon the Dems over the head with it. Spend the poor taxpayer’s money, I’m personally rich! 10. Global warming is real but most of my constituent don’t believe it so I have to pretend I don’t either. Plus, it would hurt my big business friends 11. Abortion. I don’t really think they are real people but it’s an easy issue to score points on I wonder if any of this rings true to anybody else and what party people think would hurt more if this came out as the truth ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/62 "2010-06-26T02:15:32Z")
It wouldn’t change much. Elections are a gentlemen’s duel between different sectors of state capital and we’re the audience. Things could get pretty comical though if it turns out there are plenty of actual crazy people running things. “I wanted to pull out of Iraq but I had to obey the dictates of my masters, the Star Gods.” ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/63 "2010-06-26T23:25:07Z")
Just for shits and giggles, here is [cracked.com](http://cracked.com)’s take on [If Restaurants All Got the “Liar, Liar” Disease](http://www.cracked.com/photoshop_109_if-restaurants-were-honest_p17#21) ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/64 "2010-06-27T02:08:05Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > In order to have a meaningful discussion of this topic, we’d have to know what a majority of Democrats and Republicans “really think” about a whole slew of issues. Frankly, that’s not even remotely possible. So, what will happen is a lot of hand-waving (as was done in the OP) or cherry picking or anecdotes. > > It’s like trying to discern the “original intent” of the Founders. Better to take the equivalent of a textualist approach and judge them by what they actually do. And that is still a monumental task, even if you limit the discussion to something reasonably manageable-- say, the US Senate. I can’t imagine getting a good grip on that. Thread over. This was a worse idea than most political discussions. With other threads, there are facts to be had, but we can’t agree on them even with cites. With this one, there is no hope of facts or agreement. Nothing but masturbatory material. (fap fap) “If only we could get those dirty Dems to admit what racist fascist-communist-gun-hatin’ homo-hatin’ liars they . . .are . . .uhh . . . UHHH!” ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/65 "2010-06-27T02:20:30Z")
I keep seeing these references to the Joe Barton mess…yes, it was an egregiously stupid thing to say, but…aren’t Democrats just as beholden to corporate interests as Republicans? I’ve always assumed so. To me, this corporate kowtowing is what really gets us into trouble in a lot of areas. On the surface, it seems like Dems want too much regulatory control (the nuclear power industry springs to mind) and Pubs want too little (oil)… We need a viable third party and have like…forever. Why isn’t it possible for a well-monied political party to arise out of the ashes of our system that draws on the best ideals of both parties? The divisiveness of our two party system seems to polarize not only legislation and governance at the highest level, but down to our citizens as well (tea partiers). This shit sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/66 "2010-06-27T02:45:16Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I keep seeing these references to the Joe Barton mess…yes, it was an egregiously stupid thing to say, but…aren’t Democrats just as beholden to corporate interests as Republicans? Maybe, maybe not. But is an easy proposition to sell to the voters. Just as they will believe untruths like Democrats want to take their guns, they will sooner believe Republicans are in the tank with Big Oil than Democrats are. It is a bonny cudgel to beat up the GOP with, and it should be used. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/67 "2010-06-27T03:19:07Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Maybe, maybe not. But is an easy proposition to sell to the voters. Just as they will believe untruths like Democrats want to take their guns, they will sooner believe Republicans are in the tank with Big Oil than Democrats are. It is a bonny cudgel to beat up the GOP with, and it should be used. Why, if the same cudgel can be applied to the opposing party without the velvet covering of the hammer? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/68 "2010-06-27T03:36:37Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Why, if the same cudgel can be applied to the opposing party without the velvet covering of the hammer? Because they already want to believe it about the Republicans; Democrats, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/69 "2010-06-27T04:03:57Z")
Congress would actually have to vote their conscience. They couldn’t vote based on bribes or any other quid pro quo, right? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/70 "2010-06-27T04:21:41Z")
> [@kingbighair](#): > > Perhaps you could offer some questions that would be damaging to Democrats. How often do you vote against your conscience to appease voting blocks? (unions etc) Do you try to appear friendly to social programs because you want poor voters to feel beholden to you? Do you fear that you’d lose their votes if they became less dependent on those programs? How do you **really** feel about environmentalism? Is it a real personal cause, or are you just trying to appeal to _those people_? ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/71 "2010-06-27T05:43:51Z")
It would hurt Democrats far more. The Republican base is dominated by authoritarian personalities. This type of person believes in hierarchy, and is perfectly comfortable with people they perceive as their betters, or leaders, acting however they choose. As long as the Republican politicians actually _believe_ the same things they do, they will continue to vote for them. And I believe the secret beliefs of Republican politicians are far more in line with the public beliefs of their base than is true of the Democratic party. Democrats are far less loyal, as a group. Hypocrisy bothers the hell out of them, which is why they continually accuse Republicans of it and are surprised it has no real effect on their electability. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/72 "2010-06-27T05:50:37Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I keep seeing these references to the Joe Barton mess…yes, it was an egregiously stupid thing to say, but…aren’t Democrats just as beholden to corporate interests as Republicans? Not really. First, the the Democrats are just corrupt; the Republicans are both corrupt and ideologically committed to it. And second, Democratic voters IMHO tend to have a lower opinion of their representatives; they are harder to scandalize because they never expected anything but scumminess and dishonesty. If this truth telling disease makes Democrats tell their constituents that they care nothing for the causes those voters support and only vote for them to get elected, well that’s just what most voters already thought. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/73 "2010-06-27T05:54:01Z")
Honesty from republicans: 1. My homosexual fantasies scare me. 2. Abortions scare me. 3. Being poor scares me. 4. Black people scare me. 5. War scares me. 6. Bearded men scare me. 7. God scares me. 8. Smart people scare me. 9. Smart, brown, bearded men scare me. 10. Penises scare me. 11. Vaginas scare me. 12. Haliburton scares me. 13. Rove and Cheney scare me. 14. Homosexuals scare me. 15. Lesbians scare me. 16. Video games scare me. 17. Boobs scare me. 18. Evolution scares me. 19. Monkeys scare me. 20. Losing scares me. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/74 "2010-06-27T19:34:05Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > First off the GOP would immediately enrage the teaparty, because most GOP members aren’t morons. But they’ve been acting like morons to court the completely moron Republican base. This is the key point. Very few Republicans intelligent enough to run for office could possibly believe the nonsense they parrot in order to get votes from bigots, anti-science freaks, and the latest group of idiots who want more entitlements, lower taxes and reduced deficits all at once. Republican voters would then have to rally around morons who _do_ believe such tripe. Hmmm … maybe that’s what’s behind the Sarah Palin phenomenon… ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/75 "2010-06-27T21:58:19Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Republican voters would then have to rally around morons who _do_ believe such tripe. Hmmm … maybe that’s what’s behind the Sarah Palin phenomenon… Nah, Bill Clinton had it right, [she’s a post turtle](http://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/who-placed-the-turtle-on-the-pole/): > [@](#): > > While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year old Texas rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. > > Eventually the topic got around to Sarah Palin and her bid to be a heartbeat away from being President. > > The old rancher said, “Well, ya know, Palin is a post turtle.” > > Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was. > > The old rancher said, “When you’re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, it’s a post turtle.” > > The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor’s face, so he continued to explain. > > “You know she didn’t get up there by herself, she doesn’t belong up there, she doesn’t know what to do while she is up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put her up there to begin with.” ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/76 "2010-06-27T23:06:07Z")
Democrats do not lie more than Republicans. Why are you people even humoring this retarded discussion? ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/77 "2010-06-27T23:23:42Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > This is the key point. Very few Republicans intelligent enough to run for office could possibly believe the nonsense they parrot in order to get votes from bigots, anti-science freaks, and the latest group of idiots who want more entitlements, lower taxes and reduced deficits all at once. > > Republican voters would then have to rally around morons who _do_ believe such tripe. Hmmm … maybe that’s what’s behind the Sarah Palin phenomenon… The scary part is that they believe in it. I think out of all the crazies in the party, only Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck understand that it’s just entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![LeeshaJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LeeshaJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeshaJoy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/78 "2010-06-28T03:18:45Z")
Question is, would the public in general _know_ that their representatives were being compelled to tell the whole truth? And even if they did, what percentage of them would still just go “Oh, Senator Such-And-Such didn’t really _mean_ that…”? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/79 "2010-06-28T04:23:53Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Abortion would be a wash, or maybe a slight advantage to the Democrats. Not so, given the history of dishonesty on the part of anti-abortion rights activists whose nonsense is kowtowed to/endorsed by their politician supporters (such as “Abortion causes breast cancer!” (or other diseases), “Planned Parenthood pressures women to have abortions!”, “We’re passing this legislation compelling women to watch videos/get lectured to before having an abortion because we want them to be informed!” etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512/80 "2010-06-28T05:38:12Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > And whichever party controls the center necessarily has a more diverse coalition, and more diverse coalitions are held together by studiously ignoring the issues that divide them. If Democrats were honest about those issues, there would be much more internal division in the party, making it harder for them to keep this massive coalition that now dwarfs the electoral power of Republicans. And you don’t think Libertarians breaking bread with the religious right and racists didn’t require ignoring a few issues? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-politicians-all-got-the-liar-liar-disease-dems-would-lose-ground/544512.md?page=3)