We’re re-watching The West Wing for the umpteenth time, and we’re at the episode where they’re trying to figure out how to break the news (to the public) that the President has Multiple Sclerosis.
The poll numbers Joey Lucas tells the President and senior staff are staggering. Not because of the numbers themselves or even the context in which they’re being delivered. No, it centers around the idea of lying. The entire problem the television show faces is how to deal with the voters because he lied.
About having a disease. Not about breaking an actual law. Not about sexual harassment. Not about inappropriate behavior or statements. Certainly not to attempt to overthrow a free and fair election in the United States.
Does everyone realize how low our standards have become? Lying is almost standard now. It’s accepted. People shrug their shoulders. It’s the classic “Everybody does it, so it’s ok” argument. The entire conversation in the fictional TV show from 1999 is utterly moot in the year 2023. Hell, an entire political party runs on something literally called The Big Lie.
How far we’ve fallen.
