Hi Ranty Nation!  Ranty McRantyson har agin.

(A quick note.  Ah had this har talk dun, but furgot to post it.  So har it is now.  Look fur the next in the series in a day or two…  Sorry!)

As ah told y’all in Part 2 Lying wit Questions, we’all’re gonna to step it up a notch an ah’m gonna splain how y’all can be lied to wit the “truth”.

A Trickier Way Fur Lying: Number 3

Har’s how it wurks.  Remember back in Part A Lyin wit “Connotation” an ah told y’all bout how honest folk git lied to?  Ah told y’all, ah thunked it’s cuz most folk’re honest.  An cuz theys honest, theys can’t imagine sumone they’d trust wud tell them outrageous lies.

Why Folk Like it When Sumone Tells Them the “Truth”

Folk like it when sumone tells them the “truth” cuz they thunk it is the same as them bein “honest”.  Unfurtunately, what sumone might thunk is the truth they’s tellin sumone else, might’ve bin a lie they’s wuz told.  So the “truth” ain’t always “true”.  Lookin at it a nutter way, fur whut many folk thunk is a “truth” ain’t the same as a “fact”.

Problem is that the “truth” is a tricky thang all by itself.  That’s why Steven Colbert, when he wuz doin “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central, came up with the wurd “truthiness” in 2005.  An it became the “Wurd of the Year” in 2005 an 2006 by the American Dialectic Society an the Marriam-Webster Dictionary, respective-like.  Yep, Steven Colbert made it up an it became a dictionary wurd the next year!

Just to be clear, har’s the definition:

Truthiness: a truthful or seemingly truthful quality that is claimed for something not because of supporting facts or evidence but because of a feeling that it is true or a desire for it to be true.  — merriam-webster.com

Anyhoo, the point is that “truth” ain’t always the same as “fact”.  An that’s why Colbert came up wit “Truthiness”, cuz it wuz more accurate than “truth” when talkin bout stuff folk wanted to be true, but the facts said otherwise.

Usin the “Truth” fur Lying to Folk

Now they’s at least two main ways folk use the “truth” fur lying to other folk (and sumtimes theyselfs).  Ah’m shure they’s more, but ah’ve only figured out two of them.  An tho they seems a lotta like, an can be hard to tell apart, they’s definitely two differnt ways of lying wit the truth.

Lying Wit the Truth: Way A

Let’s face it, fur right now, this har site’s mostly bout politics an, as we’all know, politicians love to lie to they’s constituents.  At least most of them Congresscritters in Washington, DC do.  So let’s look at an example of lying by telling the truth by lookin at all the “truthful lies” they’s tellin in Georgia.

Betrayin a Trust

Y’see, this way of lying is sumthin most folk’re durned familiar wit.  Y’all see it all the time in advertisin an marketin an such.  Well, course politicians’re gonna use it too.  Sad thang is, in mah opinion, it’s wurse comin frum a politician.  Har’s why:

1. Cuz them politicians’re takin advantage of the “public trust” (the power of the office an the trust folk give they’s political representatives)
2. Cuz they’s often ain’t jus lyin to folk, but’re most likely doin sumthin that’ll actually hurt a lotta they’s constituents.

“Truth Lying” in Georgia

Unfurtunately, they’s got a gud example of this lying wit the truth down there in Georgia.  If’n y’all listen to the politi-critters ((TM) uh, well, that’s really jus one wurd 🙂 ) in Georgia, they’all’ll tell y’all all the great thangs bout the new “voter fraud” bill they’s jus passed.  Jus to be clear, they’s call it “The Election Integrity Act of 2021”.  Do y’all remember whut ah said bout callin a bill sumthin when it did the opposite in Part A?

Har’s the highlights of whut the politicritters say bout it:

1. “The Election Integrity Act of 2021” expands in-person early voting dates and hours for most counties, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.  An “… to now allow both Saturdays of the early voting period to hold voting and gives counties the options to hold voting on Sundays.” — DailyCaller.com
2. “… the state would crack down on “line warming” which includes giving voters gifts of any kind to “inappropriately influence voters in the crucial final moments before they cast their ballots.” Reasonable, right?  — See above DailyCaller.com link
3. “Another provision Democrats are criticizing is the provision requiring voters show an ID to get an absentee ballot.” Again, reasonable, right?  — Again the same DailyCaller.com link
4. “The new voting law still permits polling places to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and as long as you are in line by 7 p.m. then you can still vote, the [Washington] Post confirmed.” — DailyCaller.com

Now jus to be clear, this ain’t anywhere near a full accountin of jus the “truths” bein told in this way bout this Georgia “Election Integrity” law.  But it’s all ah’ve got time fur right now.

Sum More “Truth”

Now y’all’re probly wunderin whut more truth they is bout this?  Well, ah’m gonna lay sum more truth on y’all fur each one of this thangs above.  So let’s git started:

1. Ah’m gonna go into more depth on the hours in #4 below, but let’s talk bout the days early votin’s gonna be open.  Furst, early votin’s gonna be expanded fur “most” counties.  Mah bet’s on the rural counties, whut’re mostly conservative.  Secund, they’s only gonna be open two of the Saturdays befur the Lection (hope the voters show up fur the right ones).  Wanna place a bet on how many lies bout whut Saturdays them’s polls’ll be open?  Thurd, the local “election registrar” has the option to hold Sunday votin.  But if’n money gits tight or they jus don’t wanna, then them registrar folk don’t have to.  With Republicans controllin all of the lection boards in Georgia (even in “Democratically controlled” parts of the state), y’all can bet that nuttin that’ll benefit Democrats’ll be dun.
2. Are they fur real?  Can y’all really believe that givin sumone a snack or drink in line’ll make them change they’s vote?  The folks who’all’ll need such’ll only “need” it cuz they’s bin waitin in line fur so long.  Thunk bout this.  In 2020/early 2021 the only folk who had to wait more’n bout an hour or so were in predominantly minority communities.  In many of those communities, folks had to wait up to 11 hours to vote!  Most were waitin 4 to 6 hours.
3. This one is really complicated.  Ah’ll jus give one example of why.  The new Georgia law says voters’ll need a “state” ID so folks can vote in person or wit an absentee ballot.  Fur the absentee ballot, the ID number hasta be recorded on both the ballot an on the enevelop.  Sumthin y’all don’t wanna do if’n y’all ain’t lookin to git yur ID stolen.  An the problem wit gittin that ID is that in the South (e.g. Georgia) an in minority communities, a lotta folk be born at home.  More so befur the 1990s or so, but even today.  Mostly wit a “midwife”, if’n they’s lucky.  Whut means that they’s a lotta times that they’s don’t have birth certificates.  That weren’t a votin problem when folk cud jus have a witness swear they’s wuz a citizen.  Y’all know when ah’m talkin bout… back in the days of the “Foundin Fathers” of our country.  But wit this new votin ID law it dun be a big problem fur bout 200,000 folk in Georgia.
4. This’n be the trickiest of them all.  Cuz they’s sayin stuff like “permits”, not “requires”.  The actual wurdin says “option to”, not “required to” an stuff like that.  An they don’t tell y’all that the 7am to 7pm only applies to Sunday votin if that election registrar decides to allow votin on Sunday.

Makes a bit of a differnce if’n y’all git more of the “whole truth”, don’t it?

The Bottom Line (Truth Lying: Way A Edition)

Member when y’all’d see on the TeeVee bout sumone gittin sworn in to give testimony in a court case, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, an nuttin but the truth, so help you God?”  Ah don’t know bout you, but ah find it purty interestin that they’s include “the whole truth, an nuttin but the truth” in that oath.

It kinda makes y’all thunk that maybe them legal folk’ve dun figured out that folk can lie by not telling “the whole truth, an nuttin but the truth”.  Well, in this “Way A” of lyin, they’s jus tellin the furst part, an throwin out the last two parts, of that swearin in.

Har’s a video that talks a bit bout how only tellin part of the story can give a totally differnt take on whut happened:

Another Way of Lookin At the “Way A” Way of Lyin

This kinda reminds me of when ah was a kid.  Ah was 12 years old an went to this “all y’all can eat” buffet place fur dinner.  Now y’all’ve got to unnerstand that me an my brothers were healthy, growin boys an we could eat, especially when it wuz “all y’all can eat”.

To make a long story short, when ah went back, wit my filled to the rim plate, fur my fifth helpin of roast beef the guy cuttin the meat told me not to come back.  So ah asked to talk to the manager.  He said he was the manager.  Then ah said, but this place is “all y’all can eat”.  An he told me, “Yep, an ah’m tellin y’all that’s all y’all can eat!”  Ah guess his idea of “all y’all can eat” wuz differnt than mine.

An that example’s like the law sayin that it “permits” or gives the “option to” do thangs.  This means y’all might be able to, but only if’n the folk in charge of lections chooses to let y’all do it!  Remember, they’s jus might tell y’all that’s “all y’all can eat!”

 Lyin Wit the Truth: Way B

Now this way of lyin’s purty similar to the “Way A” way of lying wit the truth.  While this’n’s a bit trickier, it’s also a bit easier to point out.  So, whut y’all do is tell the truth bout how whut y’all’ve dun is better’n whut sumone else is doin.  That makes y’all look like a hero, right?

Ah call this the “lyin by comparison” method of lyin wit the truth.  Well, let’s take a look at the whole picture.

Ah wuz watchin a video where Fox News interviewed Georgia Gov Kemp who wuz talkin bout how Georgia’s new lection laws wuz so much better’n, fur example, Delaware’s votin laws.

So jus to be clear, remember that Georgia Gov Kemp, when servin as the Georgia Secretary of State (who decides who votes an who don’t), removed over 700,000 Georgians frum the voting rolls to win his election in 2018.  Can y’all guess whut kinda voters were mostly removed?

Anyhoo, har’s a video of Gov Kemp defendin his signin of this, in mah opinion, piece of, uh… legislation:

Did y’all see how Gov Kemp wuz only talkin bout the parts of the bill that wuz gud compared to another state?

Truth Lyin Wit Gov Kemp

Ah’m jus gonna take a couple points frum the video above fur this example.  Gov Kemp’s purty gud at lyin wit the truth cuz he dun mixes up this “Way B” lyin wit the “Way A” of lying wit the truth.  So hang onto yur britches, har we go:

1. We have more “opportunities” for early voting here in the great state of Georgia, than in Delaware.
2. The law I (Gov Kemp) just signed expanding the “opportunities” to vote… early… with additional “potential” to vote on Saturdays and Sundays.
3. The people should be outraged by having to stand in line for 2-3 hours in these Democratically run counties.  That is not the “normal” for the rest of the state.

The “Whole” Truth

Well, that shure wuz a buncha misleadin bullsh… uh, -loney, yeah, bulloney(!) if’n ah’ve ever heard sum.  Y’all cud see him pausin har an thar so as he cud keep tellin the limited “truth” to trick folk into believin that law wuz gud fur all Georgians.  But it ain’t.

Har’s whut Gov Kemp’s doin:

1. They’s a wurld of differnce tween havin an “opportunity” to do sumthin an actually bein able to do it.  In this example, Gov Kemp’s comparin Georgia to Delaware.  Y’see, he knows that Delaware don’t allow early votin… at the polls.  However, in Delaware it’s easy as pie to register, request, an git an absentee/vote by mail ballot an vote early.  Georgia makes it far more difficult to vote by mail.  Goin to a pollin place is harder for folk cuz they probly have to take off wurk to vote.
2. In addition to the “opportunity” (meanin it’s optional cuz them (Republican) folk in charge of votin has to want to), Gov Kemp’s also talkin bout the “potential” fur votin on Saturdays an even on Sundays.  Now that do sound purty gud!  Problem is, a lotta poor folk gotta wurk on Saturdays too.  Not only that, but they’s only two Saturdays they can vote on.  An if’n they’s folk that tell other folk the wrong day to vote, then a lotta folk’ll git tricked outta they’s chance to vote.  As fur Sundays, that’s entirely up to the local lection “registrar”… usually a Republican appointee.  An Delaware don’t have early Saturday an Sunday votin… cuz they don’t do early in-person votin.  Instead, Delaware does early votin by mail.
3. This’n can be looked at as both a real whopper of a lie an Gov Kemp tattlin on hisself fur doin a bad job in the “Democrat run counties”.  As a former Georgia Secretary of State (in charge of the lections), Gov Kemp knows that the (Republican) Secretary of State assigns resources (money, folk, pollin machines, etc.) to ever county.  If’n they’s a problem it’s cuz the Republicans made it a problem fur them “Democrat run counties”.  An he’s sayin that the Republican Secretary of State is makin it easier on the Republican run counties… where they’s mostly Republican voters.

The Bottom Line (Way B Edition)

Like ah said, the “Way B” way of lyin’s purty durned tricky.  Y’all’ve gotta pay a lotta attention to catch all they’s tricky ways of “lying wit the truth by comparison”.  Y’all need the whole story so as y’all don’t git tricked into believin Gov Kemp’s line of BS.  Sad thang is, they’s other politicians out there who’re even better at it than he is!

The Bottom Line (Lyin wit the Truth Edition)

Now y’all’re probly thunkin, like in “Bill an Ted’s Excellent Adventure”, when “Bill” said, “No way!” they’all can git away wit that!  Ah’ll say, like Keanu Reeve’s “Ted” said, “Yes way!”

Ah have to admit that it takes a lot of nerve fur them politicians to treat they’s own voters like they’s too stoopid to see how they’s lyin to them.  But they keep on lyin to they’s voters.

An this gits back to a point ah made at the beginnin of this talk… that most folk’re honest an they’s jus have problems thunkin an unnerstandin that the politicians they voted fur wud lie to them like that. An ah guess they’ll keep lyin so long as they’s voters keep lectin them!

Well, we’all’ve made it to the downhill side of this har series on lyin.  Only a couple more parts to go.  So keep an eye peeled fur the next in the series, Part D.

Ranty McRantyson signin off fur now!

PS.  Har’s a gud video that shows a Fox News reporter tellin only part of the truth, an lettin whut’s not told be the lie.  Fur that matter, in mah opinion, almost all the Fox News Network’s “news” dun be fulla lies like that.  Like whut ah talked bout above in Way A: