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Wednesday Morning Rant

Lie of the Year

The American press cannot keep itself from doing unspeakable things to the chicken. This includes the mainstream press and the wonk press. They're all more alike than they are different. Indeed, the differences are slim. As we are now at the end of the year - and especially because we are at the end of an election year and one that didn't go swimmingly for the Left, the press is out doing its thing and ravaging the poor fowl.

My favorite so far comes from the "non-partisan" "fact-checking" outlet of the "democracy-strengthening" Poynter Institute: Politifact (and no, none of that is facetious - it's actually how they present themselves). Politifact has named its "Lie of the Year." Go ahead and take a guess, not that you need to. You just know from the headline that the Orange Liar is responsible. He has to be. It goes without saying. According to Politifact, the "Lie of the Year" had to do with Springfield, OH.

And so, with a brazen disregard for facts, Donald Trump and his running mate repeatedly peddled a created story that in Springfield, Ohio, Haitian immigrants were eating pet dogs and cats.

With this claim, amplified before 67 million television viewers in his debate against Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump took his anti-migrant, the U.S. border-is-out-of-control campaign agenda to a new level.

How very non-partisan that is. An astounding neutral description of straight fact. The whole article from this "fact-checking" outlet is chock full of facts. My favorite is this little tidbit:

City and county officials said repeatedly that it was not happening.

Rebuttals did not diminish the consequences: Dozens of bomb threats at schools, grocery stores and government buildings. Pleas from locals to leave them alone. A continued lack of constructive debate on immigration and border control issues.

That's as it appears on Politifact. I usually don't bother to re-create embedded hyperlinks when quoting text because it's a pain to do and doesn't typically provide real value or context. In this case, though it does. Politifact has a link to a story (a Politifact story, of course) about the officials denying it. Where are the links to the evidence for the claims of "dozens of bomb threats at schools, grocery stores and government buildings," Politifact? Where are the receipts, as the kids say? Surely a "fact-checking" outlet like Politifact wouldn't just be making stuff up, would they? Perish the thought!

It's almost as if it never happened and there is no evidence for their baseless claims. But then again, it couldn't be. Not from a bunch of rock-ribbed, non-partisan, straight shooters like Politifact. It's surely just a little oversight that they forgot to link to their voluminous evidence for their shocking claims. It isn't possibly that Politifact and the Poynter Institute are the playthings of faceless left-wing money men looking to subvert the public and shape opinion to promote Progressive ideology. Couldn't be. Not them. Our institutions are strong and mighty and honest, dontchyaknow.

It's not like this has been a year when mega-lies have been hard to come by. There are so many candidates for "lie of the year" that actually naming one such is probably impossible. Here are some of mine, in no particular order:

• The military isn't mired in failure to achieve strength as it has politicized
• The economy is great
• The DoJ aren't a bunch of corrupt hatchet-men for the Party
• Joe Biden is Competent
• Politifact is non-partisan and honest

That's just off the top of my head. What's your candidate for "Lie of the Year?" Something tells me it isn't "Springfield."