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What should happen to politicians who tell lies in their campaigns?

What should happen to a politician who tells a lie in a campaign?

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If a politician lies, and you believe them and vote for them based on those promises which are broken, isn't that another kind of voter fraud?
 
If a politician lies, and you believe them and vote for them based on those promises which are broken, isn't that another kind of voter fraud?

Good morning, Erik. :2wave:

Probably, but we're so used to getting lied to by politicians - which we wouldn't put up with from family and friends - that we cut them some slack! And when you stop and consider things, how many of us would vote for someone who told us that things would either stay crappy like they currently are, or actually get worse? :lamo
 
Good morning, Erik. :2wave:

Probably, but we're so used to getting lied to by politicians - which we wouldn't put up with from family and friends - that we cut them some slack! And when you stop and consider things, how many of us would vote for someone who told us that things would either stay crappy like they currently are, or actually get worse? :lamo

Good morning, Polgara. :2wave:

We are all grown up voters here (or at least should be), and none of us should be expecting that by the mere fact of being elected, that any one person would be able to set right all the things that we see as being wrong.

However, I think that candidates should clearly state their intentions (plans of action), and at least acknowledge that 'this is what we are going to try and get done, but we'll need to work across the isle on it (compromise on the fringes, but hold fast on the principals)', rather than just wildly promise and ignore all that later.

How about just a little honesty in the conversation?
 
Should there be any kind of punishment for politicians who aren't honest in their campaigns?

I couldn't find the right item on your list, so I could vote...should have added a item: don't vote for them.
 
it must also be objectively reasonable to assume a contract existed.

and I do not believe any court will rule an election year campaign promise to be one.

Wouldn't know until it comes before the court. It should be upheld because a promise IS a promise. Just because you're on a campaign trail doesn't absolve you of the responsibility of keeping promises.
 
Get idea in theory.

But in practice?

We need SOMEONE in charge.

If we booted everyone that lied we wouldn't have.many folks left.

Not once they all started to realize that they could no longer lie. They'd start following the rules of a civil society. Only reason that politicians lie to us all the time is because we let them. They're just like kids, if they think that they can get away with something then they'll continue to do it until punished. They may try it a couple more times after initial punishment but after being consistent with your stance and punishments they will eventually stop all together.
 
There are laws in place.
Slander for when you speak out against another candidate with lies (most don't press charges because they, themselves, do the same thing).
If the lie is bad enough it could be committing perjury.
There are also political campaign laws in place.

The problem isn't that there is no system to protect the U.S. from lying candidates it is that nobody cares enough to enforce the laws. The entire system is poisoned with corruption and as is displayed by posts here, the average American could give a **** if they are lied to or not.
I'd prosecute to the highest extent of the law, personally.
 
Not once they all started to realize that they could no longer lie. They'd start following the rules of a civil society. Only reason that politicians lie to us all the time is because we let them. They're just like kids, if they think that they can get away with something then they'll continue to do it until punished. They may try it a couple more times after initial punishment but after being consistent with your stance and punishments they will eventually stop all together.

Not only do we let them get away with it, but we choose to believe all of the lies that confirm our biases.
 
Under very specific circumstances I would be in favor of going after them in civil court the way we do with false advertising.

So if Candidate A claims that Candidate B voted for law x, when Candidate B did NOT vote for law x, and Candidate A made this claim in order to win votes, I think there should be some sort of civil penalty for Candidate A.

If Candidate A promises to pass law Z once he gets into office and once in office he doesn't pass law Z, I don't think there is anything we can do to him other than not vote for him again. There are numerous reasons a candidate may not be able to keep a campaign promise. Sometimes it was a lie from the start, but sometimes they were just wrong. And differentiating between the two could be problematic.

Logjamming an already overloaded court system will only hurt taxpayers by denying them judicial due process in a timely manner.

Since voters don't care when politicians lie, why waste time in the courts?
 
There are laws in place.
Slander for when you speak out against another candidate with lies (most don't press charges because they, themselves, do the same thing).
If the lie is bad enough it could be committing perjury.
There are also political campaign laws in place.

The problem isn't that there is no system to protect the U.S. from lying candidates it is that nobody cares enough to enforce the laws. The entire system is poisoned with corruption and as is displayed by posts here, the average American could give a **** if they are lied to or not.
I'd prosecute to the highest extent of the law, personally.

In my state the State Supreme court said politicians lying is okay. They considered it free speech...
 
Not once they all started to realize that they could no longer lie. They'd start following the rules of a civil society. Only reason that politicians lie to us all the time is because we let them. They're just like kids, if they think that they can get away with something then they'll continue to do it until punished. They may try it a couple more times after initial punishment but after being consistent with your stance and punishments they will eventually stop all together.

Google up "if by Whiskey" for a laugh.
 
There shouldn't be a punishment but the stupid ****ing idiots that vote for them over and over should not vote for them but because they are stupid ****ing idiots I doubt that will ever happen. Just look at Hilary... these idiots ****ing LOVE her. It is pathetic. The Right has its idiots too but Hilary is about as bad as they get.
 
I do not want to authorize the government to make determinations about what "the truth" is. If the public catches a politician lying to them, they should simply vote not to re-elected that politician.
 
What should happen? They shouldn't get elected. What will happen? Nothing. Americans are stupid.
 
I do not want to authorize the government to make determinations about what "the truth" is. If the public catches a politician lying to them, they should simply vote not to re-elected that politician.

So you not voting for Hillary after all.
 
Not only do we let them get away with it, but we choose to believe all of the lies that confirm our biases.
America suffers from battered spouse syndrome. It isn't that we like being lied to but we have become comfortable with it. As long as there is still some luxury to being an American then we accept everything our Government does. But. Like the battered spouse, things have to come to a head eventually. Either America wakes up and says "no more" or it is finally killed by the abusive spouse we call our Government.
 
So you not voting for Hillary after all.

"After all"? I've made it very clear from the beginning that I wasn't going to vote for Hillary. I considered it, briefly, when it started to look like Trump was going to win... but my conscience will not allow it.
 
Hhhhmmmm....I suspect some people are opposed to the idea because they want to protect creationist and climate change-denying bumpkin Republicans running for office.
 
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