Like the line itself, this diary is short and sweet. What the Great Communicator knew is that politics breeds cynicism. Most don't follow details yet expect leaders to fix all of their problems. That unrealistic expectation plus equally unrealistic lofty goals set by politicians adds to the cynicism. Political favors for at least some in power does little to abate perceptions. In the end, most apolitical-types call "bullshit" on both parties and their candidates. They probably wouldn't be apolitical to begin with if it wasn't for the feel that they're all liars.
(More below the short and sweet sfolyadel, uhm sfogliatella)
Unfortunately, this equivocation helps to put some dangerous people in power. People who are far worse than liars. Perhaps no divide between personal character as well as actual policy was ever as great as the one seen in the 1972 election. In the end, one of the biggest crooks to ever sit in the Oval Office swept 49 out of 50 states against one of the most honest men to ever serve in the US Senate. The recently passed, George McGovern (http://www.dailykos.com/...), a WWII hero, never had a true chance in the midst of culture changes surrounding the late '60s and early '70s. Still, the underlying general belief that "they're all the same" or "they both lie" amongst those not fighting for Civil Rights and not fighting against the war didn't help much. But even Nixon, even in winning 49 out of 50 states, was never thought of as a straight talker, even amongst his own Republicans.
That honor belonged to Saint Ronnie. The same guy who blamed pollution on tress, called ketchup a vegetable, kicked off his 1980 post-Convention campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, based a new, laser defense system on the movie Star Wars, cut and ran from Lebanon, funded dirty wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, sold arms to Iran, honored dead Nazi soldiers in Germany, publicly joked about the start of a nuclear war and tried bringing Robert Bork to the Supreme Court, could make blatant lies and treacherous policy all evaporate with a winning smile. Unlike Nixon, Saint Ronnie had the charm, the delivery and the best comeback/attack line of all them all.
"Well, there you go again."
Tonight, at Lynn University, Multiple Choice Romney will lie continuously. We know that, he knows that, President Obama knows that. But will the cynical apolitical masses respond to the President by calling Multiple Choice Romeny out on those lies? How much time can be spent breaking down each and every one of his many lies? One line, "Well, there you go again" cuts through it all, gets a laugh from the masses and scores points with the pundits who fill post debate coverage. Use that line, get Multiple Choice Romeny to do the impossible, explain that his lies aren't lies, and this debate is ours.