This is getting to be a serial adventure with this guy, like Harry Potter -- but way heavier at the nightmare end of things.
So far, Paul Ryan's running his campaign as Veep wannabe about like he does a marathon: running his own course, running his mouth, and running out his clock on his own sense of time and timing. For someone who considers himself so fleet of foot, he's certainly being footloose with the truth, getting so often tripped up by it and tangled all around in it.
Lyin' Ryan, in his latest poleaxing of the truth, shaved more than an hour off his marathon time. Despite impressions he's let stand to the contrary, he's run only one marathon, and clocked more than 4 hours finishing, versus that "2 hour and 50-something" he's stated.
This is not a small or casual lie, especially not to marathoners, who say it's the difference between running and racing. The only marathon Ryan's running is more like a steeplechase, where he tries to avoid pitfalls of the truth. That winner's finish line must seem further away all the time.
Now that another lie has been uncovered, you can expect the right wingnut loonies to strap on their special, elongated running shoes for clowns, and join in on the latest Ryan fiasco and folly. They'll huddle protectively around Ryan -- herding and lockstepping being natural expressions of the Republican mien.
You can also expect them to leap out at observers and accusers again, offering themselves as they do in the wild -- in a defensive burst and spray of wildly-chattering targets, hoping to draw off pursuers, be they hunters of prey or the truth.
Even if it is true that some people exaggerate their sporting exploits, what does it say when a candidate lies about everything while on a national stage -- what can you read between the lines of such behaviors, especially when the lying is so earnestly done?
Which type of candidate would you feel better supporting: one with a bad memory; one with an ego need to better the facts; one who intends to deceive; one who stretches the truth on all matters, big and small?
Hint: We have been here before and his name was George W. Bush. That little bit of truth slippage we experienced created a hellish maw devouring blood and treasure, among much else, such as national honor and squandered worldwide goodwill. You remember: It was called Iraq.
Tons of lies sure helped that one work out all right, now didn't it?
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Lying about everything -- even meaningless twaddle -- must be very important to maintaining one's comfy-while-lying skills. It is certain Lyin' Ryan is another near-graduate of the Dubya Institute for Talkin' Real Good.
(This guy really needs help, but, please, Uncle Cosmos: Not into the White House! I'll be good! I'll even swear to it on a stack of Ryan's unread Bibles!)
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You can expect more slice-'n'-diced truthiness from Ryan's own lips in days ahead:
- Ryan won 4 Purple Hearts, 3 Bronze Stars, 2 Silver Stars, and the Congressional Medal of Honor -- twice! -- from that time he was in World War Two, Korea, and Vietnam.
- Ryan pointed the way for Vespucci, DeSoto, Columbus, and many others -- without his efforts, this country may never have been discovered.
- Ryan was the only man deemed trustworthy enough to act as a go-between among Benjamin Franklin and backers of the American Revolutionaries in France -- without his efforts, the new country might have failed.
- Ryan apprenticed under Marie Curie, Louis Pasteur, and Albert Einstein, helping them over the hump in their most important work for mankind.
- Ryan was the first man on the moon, but let Neil Armstrong take the credit.
- Ryan advised the Mayans on their long count calculations and wheel machinations, forever parlaying the world's certain doom into a simple change of calendars.
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A change of scenery and tone occurs now, into an account much more seriously considered. These additional thoughts are offered by way of a commentary posted by samidean and originally seen appended to this article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/01/paul-ryan-marathon-time_n_1848715.html
Here is the comment: "As per Dr. Sanity blogspot, who is a board certified psychiatrist with 35 years of clinical experience, " samidean notes, then quotes from that source.
"Pathological lying is one of the hallmark characteristics of a narcissist, who does it out of a need to manipulate and maintain control. For the immature narcissist there is an essential emotional truth: lying is an expression of his (or her) mistrust of others; and his (or her) need to maintain a fragile sense of self at all costs.
"Being honest (and therefore vulnerable) terrifies the narcissist. Since his primary goal is to control others, through projection he constantly fears that others will try to control him.
"Thus, lying becomes the modus operandi through which he can maintain his superficial presentation of himself and keep people from learning the truth of who he really is.
"He never allows himself to be 'pinned down,' or accountable. More lies are always necessary to cover up a previous lie.
"And, typically, he even begins to believe his own lies and become outraged at any suggestion that he may be lying. Thus he becomes sincere in his lying and others may actually believe the lies because of the sincerity.
"This is why truly pathological liars (such as sociopaths) are so hard to detect in the population. In general, the lack of an ability to feel guilty about the lies, and the perverse sense that he is 'entitled to lie' are standard for the political narcissist.
"This seems to aptly describe both Ryan and Romney."
Nickel psychology or not, this sure feels like a fit, you must admit.
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In fiction, any lies present are in service to the truth, as it is said. In fact and reality, lies are in service to no one but the speaker. This is the real truth of Romney and Ryan -- in service only to themselves.
Paraphrasing Adlai Stevenson: If Republicans will stop lying about absolutely everything, we will stop telling the truth about them.