CARLTON FLETCHER: Looking for truthful answers to some hard questions

Believing the things you say, Being the fool. … Ain’t that what you said? Ain’t that what you said? Liar, liar, liar.

— Three Dog Night

This is going to be a tough one, boys and girls, but I want you to try really hard to follow these simple directions: Before you read the following, put away your preconceived notions about national news stories and think rationally, without considering any individual currently dominating news cycles. And answer the questions honestly.

The concept is a simple one. If you read the following about any political candidate in this country – and knew nothing about him or her – would you vote for the candidate? Would you vote for someone who:

– Paid off a porn star with whom he/she had had an affair to keep word from leaking out about the affair?

– Despite claiming to be a shrewd businessperson, filed for bankruptcy seven times to keep from paying people he/she owed money?

– Got separate mistresses pregnant while married?

– Refused to release tax returns as every other candidate in his/her position has throughout the country’s history?

— Was convicted of 48 felonies?

– Referred to countries struggling for survival as “sh– hole” countries?

– Promised to bring gas prices down to $2 a gallon then started an illegal and useless war that has pushed gas prices above $4 a gallon – and rising – and diesel fuel priced at around $6.50 a gallon … then proclaimed “I love these gas prices?”

– Lied so many times over the course of less than two years – including incredible made-up stories – that no one feels comfortable believing a word he/she says?

– Told a public barely managing to make ends meet that prices were “going down across the board” in “the greatest economy in this country’s history” when the overwhelming majority of that public refuses to believe this series of outstanding lies … and does a slow burn when said person proclaims “I love this inflation.”

– Promised to hand out checks – of taxpayer money, it should be noted, although it doesn’t matter because the checks have never been sent – to the general public and then promised another windfall of $5,000 if his party won the upcoming election, another broken law that criminalizes trying to buy an election?

— Is linked, through photographs, anecdotes and other evidence, to the most notorious child sexual predator in the world’s history?

– Placed a bunch of know-nothing yes men and women in positions of power whose only qualifications for Cabinet-level jobs is that they do whatever he/she demands?

– Used tariffs to “punish” countries whose leaders crossed him/her, driving up prices that American consumers pay, and then when the tariffs were deemed unconstitutional, gave rebate money to large corporations, ignoring the consumers struggling to eke out a living?

– Threw paper towels at Puerto Ricans struggling in the wake of Hurricane Maria rather than giving these American citizens hope that relief aid would be coming to help with the devastation that had entered their lives?

– Made racist overtures to Klan and White Supremacist groups after members of those groups killed peaceful protesters in Virginia?

– Unleashed an American paramilitary organization – ICE – on American citizens, making excuses for members of that organization even after they killed innocent American citizens?

– Has such a large ego, he/she lied about the size of attendees at his/her events (inauguration, failed Independence Day celebrations) as if people couldn’t see for themselves how small said events were?

– Confessed to admiring dictators like those in Russia and North Korea?

– Blamed administrations previous to his own – Biden, Obama – for issues that have arisen during his/her own administration?

– Continued to lie about results of an election that took place six years ago even after returning to office?

– Made a call heard around the world to Georgia officials asking that they “find” enough votes to declare him winner in the state?

– Illegally kept legitimate members of the media from covering events that citizens deserve to know about because of a childish temper tantrum that is one of the landmark actions of his/her time in office?

– Slept through so many key events – including Memorial Day celebration and meetings with heads of foreign states – after staying up all hours of the night to post usually absurd rants on social media?

– Pardoned traitors – some of whom were murderers, rapists and drug dealers – who attacked their country’s seat of power in an attempt to try and halt the transfer of power after their candidate lost an election?

Now, answer truthfully. If such a person as that were seeking office, would you vote for him or her? Obviously, no one in their right mind would, and yet an ever-shrinking but cult-like group in America continues to support a person who has done all of these things and so much more.

And we wonder how so many people in Germany could devote themselves to an evil despot like Adolf Hitler.

Email Carlton Fletcher at carlton.fletcher@albanyherald.com.