The title of
this article by Holman Jenkins intrigued me: "Politicians Never Lied Before Trump," and so I clicked on it. I was almost certain that the title was sarcastic---of
course, politicians lie often, and have done so since time immemorial---and sure enough, the title was indeed meant as sarcasm.
It seems completely obvious to me that one of the most common activities of politicians is to lie. To some extent, politics almost demands it, depending on how one defines "lie." Is a bragging exaggeration a lie? Is an optimistic promise a lie? How exaggerated does it have to be before it becomes a lie rather than mere hyperbole?