The New York Times lists 31 lies and gross exaggerations uttered by Donald Trump. And this (no kidding) is just from the past week.
So which do we think is the case here?
- He thinks people are so stupid they won't realize that he's lying to them.
- He thinks people are so distrusting of the press that they'll assume he's right and all those fact checkers are lying.
- He thinks he's hitting enough hot buttons — getting people so worried about minorities and terrorists and such — that they'll overlook the lies or maybe excuse him on the assumption that every politician lies like this (especially That Woman) and he has to play the game to get elected and save them.
- He thinks he's such a good, charismatic speaker that he looks good even when the facts are dubious.
- He doesn't think. It's something pathological and since it seems to be working, he's not about to change.
- Other. I'm trying to think what that might be.
I really don't know which of these is the case…maybe all of them to some extent. I do have a certain frightened admiration that he can do this and at the same time sell the idea that his opponent is the one who doesn't tell the truth.