The PolitiFact scorecard for President Barack Obama

The PolitiFact scorecard for President Donald Trump

Do you notice anything different?

If you look at the statements for both men that are rated as Mostly False, False, or Pants on Fire (the categories that are less than half-true) you will notice that President Obama was rated in these categories in 26% of his challenged and rated statements. Compare this to President Trump, who spends 69% of his time in this territory.

Obama is scored at being at least half-true in 76% of his rated statements.

Trump? Only 32%.

So, maybe the question should be: Why does Trump lie all of the time? Lying seems to be Trump’s go-to move. Rather than present a semi-truthful answer, he wings it. Usually, these statements are telegraphed by his use of the phrase, “Believe me.”

As expected, I’m beginning to get the comments that Politifact is obviously biased. Here, I must disagree and alert you to the possibility that there are real news sites out there. Politifact has received the Pulitzer prize for its fair and unbiased coverage of the political landscape, and if one actually reads the reviews and research that they cite when debunking the various lies, you will find that they are just as hard on Obama when he lied as they are when Trump lies.

It is simply a matter of fact that Trump is a much more facile liar than was his predecessor. Perhaps the difference is that his predecessor actually knew facts about the topic of the day and didn’t have to make them up on the spot to appear in control.

Search your feelings Luke. You know this to be true.

Obama’s whole presidency was a lie, apparently.

Obama made the world think that America was represented by erudition, intelligence and class. He brought us Jazz at the White House. He did stand-up at the White House Correspondent’s dinner.

He gave us in the antipodes the impression that America had a heart and a soul that was connected to a mind. He made it look like it was possible to have a loving marriage and well-adjusted children even with the most stressful job in the world.

Obama projected the image that the United States was a nation that could be trusted and admired – a country of wise and well-intentioned people with the insight, integrity and ingenuity to make such an incredible human being (flawed as all such creatures are) their head of state.

In contrast, however, Donald John Trump has exposed that lie. It was all a lie, apparently. Trump proved it.

Goodbye, Barack. It was all a dream, it seems. Now the loud, ugly, hateful, violent and demented truth is out.