PROMISES PROMISES

If you’re like me, you’ve about had your fill of Donald Trump, so I promise this will be my last post to mention his name (until next time)….and this post will do so only to bring us to the title subject. For as much as Pied Piper Trump has lured his infatuated followers with the siren song of an outsider/non-politician, he has one thing in common with typical politicians: they promise what they (should) well know they can’t deliver….but The Donald does it as shamelessly as, and more brazenly than, “real” politicians.

Idealistic politicians like 2008 Obama made unkeepable promises, but I think more out of näiveté than hubris or delusions of self-grandeur; he overestimated his powers of persuasion and underestimated the GOP’s resolve to repel him at every turn. Would the 2016 Obama make the same promises, knowing what he knows now, if he could do 2008 over again? Who knows? This post doesn’t promise answers, it promises promises.

One hardly knows where to begin when it comes to wading through the swamp of unbelievable promises made by politicians over the past millendium, so here’s someone else’s compendium, which I recommendium by extending ’em here:

http://www.viralnova.com/insane-political-promises/

For the geographically-challenged, if you didn’t “get” promise #12, Libya is IN Africa. As for me, having more or less winged my way to getting to this point in my post, I at least know how I’m going to bring it to a merciful end: with these promisory quotes….

Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing. –Edmund Burke

It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and broken promises. –Chief Joseph

They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept but one; they promised to take our land, and they took it. –Red Cloud

What’s important is promising something to the people, not actually keeping those promises. The people have always lived on hope alone. –Hermann Broch

It’s easy enough to get into power. You can make promises and try to be all things to all people. But the moment you have to make decisions, you’re going to annoy at least half of them. Whatever you do, in the end you’re almost certain to be brought down by your own character traits. –Robert Harris 

Vote for the man who promises least; he’ll be the least disappointing. –Bernard Baruch

Or you can heed this bumper sticker: DON’T THINK – VOTE TRUMP