There have been eleven different presidents during my lifetime. Without exception every single one of them has lied in office. For as long as I can remember I’ve thought it was part of the territory.
Why do Americans become so outraged when presidents are caught in a lie?
Your question is even more poignant when it’s coupled with President Carter’s ill-fated attempts at candor, something we really disliked. So we decry mealymouthed pols while simultaneously punishing others for being too forthright. Tough business.
FDR “lied” about not sending US troops to fight in foriegn wars, yet for nearly a year before Pearl Harbor the US Navy was actively fighting U-Boats in the Atlantic — and we were loosing merchant ships to U-Boats. Later FDR “lied” about the the Doolittle raiders having come from Shangri-la.
Ike “lied” about a U-2 flight (and some peripheral flights as well) over the USSR. Ike and his administration also mislead and gave false hope to the Hungarians in October of 1956.
JFK “lied” about a missile gap when he was running against Nixon in the 1960 Presidential Race. I don’t really recall how the assasination of Diem Ngo Dinh went down.
Bubba, well he just lied. The evidence is there.
It’s simple: we don’t like being lied to.
I think we’re more forgiving if we’re being lied to for valid reasons of state. Less tolerant when it’s for pureoly political purposes.
But, Dave, it would be worse if Americans started shrugging their shoulders and being indifferent. It’s a good thing that Americans still have just enough idealism left to be outraged at official dishonesty. We’re not the Italians just yet.
I was reared to be cynical about politics; I don’t remember ever thinking anything else.