A tough way to learn a lesson

Voice dry, arid but amicable, Michael Whatley spent years in Washington working as a lobbyist. Then ran for state Republican Party Chairman. Won. Landed in a second world.

Time passed. He ran for Senate. Landed in a third world. The world of elections.

The first two worlds – lobbyists and party officials live and breathe in – are small, compact. Like fraternities. The third world – elections – is huge. Packed with millions of voters.

In the two small worlds spinning tales is commonplace. Seldom draws frowns. But the world of elections is different.

Years ago Richard Nixon got caught telling a lie to cover up his role in the Watergate scandal. Seeing the Democrats were about to impeach him, he met with Republican Congressmen and Senators. Got a shock when they told him they were going to vote to impeach him too.

Back in those days most Americans saw lies as a sin. Turned thumbs down on a liar. Whether he was a Democrat or Republican.

Today folks – like Michael – are cut from a different bolt of cloth. The way they see it elections boil down to one thing: Winning. But that opens the door to a temptation: Spinning tales. When they figure it helps them win.

Trailing Roy Cooper in the Senate race Michael Whatley just posted on social media: ‘As most Democrats distance themselves from Hasan Piker, Roy Cooper continues to stand by the antisemite who said America deserved 9/11.’

An internet showman Hasan Piker streams videos praising radicals.

So does Cooper – as Michael’s telling people – ‘stand by’ Piker? No. Does Cooper think ‘America deserved 9/11?’ No. Did Michael Whatley offer one seed of proof his attack was true? No. He just hurled a smear. Figuring spinning a tale would help him.

In an ad for Michael a father sitting on the steps in front of his home told how his daughter was murdered – at the end of the ad Whatley’s folks told people the man who killed her was a criminal, out on the streets because Cooper let criminals out of prison.

The girl was murdered in South Carolina. By a man from South Carolina. Who’d never been in prison in North Carolina. So Roy Cooper didn’t let him out of jail.

In a second ad a father talked about how his son was murdered and, again, Whatley laid the blame on Cooper, saying the murderer was on the streets because Cooper let him out of prison.

Even the murdered boy’s father said that wasn’t true.

So is spinning tales helping Whatley with voters?

Maybe with a few MAGA Republicans. But with other Republicans and Democrats and Independents those ads landed Whatley in a train wreck. A tough way to learn a lesson.

But take a moment and look on the bright side: Americans turning thumbs down on politicians who spin tales makes us a better country. And that gift saves us from a vice that leads to train wrecks.