Do most of us want politicians to lie to us?
Politicians hate to make difficult decisions. But they do like to see their name in the press when it is associated with handing out money. They like to claim they are solving problems, even if what they are doing is nearly meaningless. Politicians will usually exaggerate. They will always try to portray even their worst failures as grand successes. Such behavior should be expected. Local politicians are no different. It is human nature to want to look good.
The press has the job of checking out what the politicians say to see if it is exaggerated just a little bit or a whole lot. The press has the job of finding what the politician is hiding from the people. If the media fails to do its job, either because it is lazy or doesn't care or has been co-opted, then the system fails.
Fortunately, the media often does to its job, even if it creates controversy. Each of us should appreciate the work the media does to keep the politicians honest. It isn't that all politicians are bad. Most of them are good, upstanding individuals. But it is very normal for even your best friend to try and hide the difficult things and showcase the positive. Why should we expect politicians to be any different? Most politicians are people people. They enjoy being with people. They enjoy trying to help people. They enjoy being noticed and being seen as the person that has solved the problem. We tend to vote for people that are this way. But have you ever noticed that this type of person has a very difficult time when competing groups vie for their support? They try to be everything to everyone. Negative things are usually just ignored or, at best, repeatedly re-described.
The point is this: the politician is your friend that has a very difficult time telling you anything except what you want to hear. So, when they make a promise or tell you they are doing something, take their comments with a grain of salt. They are probably making promises to others that will prohibit them from fulfilling their promise to you. Value the politician that tells everyone the truth and reward them with your vote.
Do you want a politician that tells you the truth or one that tells you what you want to hear? We get what we vote for.