ABSTRACT
Misrepresentation, exaggeration, deception, and downright lying turned out to be a major issue in the 2000 presidential campaign. Most of the criticism was directed at Vice President Al Gore, who exaggerated his career accomplishments, giving himself credit for inventing the Internet and inspiring the novel Love Story. During the campaign finance investigations after the 1996 presidential elections, Gore defied credulity by denying that he knew that his visit to a Southern California Buddhist temple was a fund-raising event and by denying that he had made fundraising calls from the White House, prohibited by federal law. President Johnson and military leaders involved in the Vietnam War believed it was absolutely critical to lie—about body counts, victories, and enemies—in order to maintain the level of public support they needed to win. There is no doubt they all believed these were noble lies. Lies fall into a range of categories: there are malevolent lies, intentional falsehoods, and "white lies".
