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Most think politicians 'embellish truth,' poll finds

By Jennifer Harper
April 8, 2008

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's tale of running for cover from sniper fire in Bosnia in 1996 exemplifies why the public thinks politicians exaggerate. (United Press International)

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Tales of Bosnian snipers and other heroics just don't wash with the public: Almost three-quarters of Americans agree that politicians exaggerate their virtues, according to a new Fox 5/The Washington Times/Rasmussen poll.

Overall, 71 percent of the respondents agreed that politicians "embellish the truth" when discussing past accomplishments. Only 10 percent rejected the idea; 19 percent said they were not sure.

There are a few divides by party and gender, though. Republicans were more suspicious of politicians' claims than Democrats, 76 percent to 66 percent, respectively. More men tend to smell a rat than women, 74 percent to 69 percent. The most leery of all were men younger than 40, with 83 percent agreeing politicians exaggerated. The least suspicious were women younger than 40, at 64 percent.

The press and the public alike have become particularly attuned to honesty on the campaign trail since mid-March, when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton told an audience she raced for cover from sniper fire during a 1996 trip to Bosnia. CBS News delved into their actual video footage of the event to reveal the New York Democrat calmly strolling through her visit; the telling snippet soon dominated YouTube, the Drudge Report, the greater blogosphere and opinion pages.

Truth seekers abounded, including former Clinton White House political adviser Dick Morris, who soon published a list of Mrs. Clinton's 18 "admitted lies" and "whoppers she won't confess to" in the Hill newspaper.

"Journalists have always enjoyed catching politicians in a lie about themselves, or exaggerating their virtues. Thanks to citizen media and technology, the whole electorate seems to be getting in on the act," said Robert Lichter, director of the Center for Media and Public Affairs.

"It's important for politicians to realize the whole campaign landscape has changed. Journalists may nod off, but YouTube never sleeps, and that can be dangerous," Mr. Lichter said.

Opinion surveys in the aftermath revealed that the Bosnia gaffe had taken its toll: A Gallup poll, for example, found that 53 percent of the respondents did not think Mrs. Clinton was "honest and trustworthy," compared with 29 percent who felt that way about Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and 27 percent who said the same of Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

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