2008 Presidential Election, Democrats VS. Republicans

Hypocrisy is the act of preaching a certain belief or way of life, but not, in fact, holding these same virtues oneself. For example, an adult telling children not to smoke cigarettes, even though the adult smokes.

Lying is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement with the intention to deceive, often with the further intention to maintain a secret or reputation, or to avoid punishment.

It's easy to see that by definition hypocrisy and lying are very closely related. Most people would tell you that both are morally wrong, and admit that at one time or another they have been guilty of one or the other. Many of those same people would finish by saying they were sorry they did it and in the long run it wasn't worth it. This brings me to the 2008 presidential elections.

It seems the media is in a feeding frenzy over which candidate has lied the most. I found an article stating Obama lied about his father being a sheepherder, when in fact he was a wealthy farmer. Another reporter claims Obama lied about quitting smoking and that he "reeked of smoke" while interviewing him. His running mate, Joe Biden has been called a liar, too. There are claims that he lies about opposing taxpayer funding of abortions because his voting record says otherwise. Biden has been accused of lying by lifting lines from the speeches of Robert Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, and others. Those democrats are a lying bunch.

The republican candidates are no better. McCain has been accused of lying about whether or not he supported making Martin Luther King Day a national holiday. I found an article that accused McCain of lying about his stand on alternative energy and not missing any crucial votes. His vice presidential pick, Sarah Palin has been accused of lying about the "bridge to nowhere", a pork barrel project in her state. Palin is currently under investigation for her lies regarding the firing of her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper in Alaska. Liar, liar, pants on fire...It seems that those republicans are a lying bunch, too.

We've determined that both the democrat and republican presidential hopefuls are a bunch of liars, but are they hypocrites, too? I found an article accusing Obama of being a hypocrite claiming he's racist. McCain has been accused of being a hypocrite when it comes to supporting our veterans. Biden has been accused of being a "hypocrite and pompous gasbag" for criticizing McCain for his views, when he has said everyone should refrain from political attacks. As for Palin, she is the worst hypocrite of all. As governor of Alaska she claims she's for lowering taxes and she did so by reducing property taxes, only to raise sales tax by .5% and then extend the sales tax to include food. Hypocrite, Hypocrite!

To make sense of it all, the best thing anyone can do is research the candidates and make sure you separate truth from opinions. Don't vote for a candidate because of the commercials you see on TV or because you like Palin's "hotness" or Obama's wife, Michelle. Look at the issues and make sure you understand what a candidate stands for and against. Once you understand the issues, make sure you get out and vote.