I'm generally too dumb to be full of shit. I don't mean I'm a beacon of pure honesty, that I'd never pull a Bart Simpson "I didn't do it," but there's a level of dishonesty that requires deliberate intent and calculation. It requires strategizing. I just can't do it.
I'm thinking of all the pundits and similar who consider the career values of Taking A Position. Like, is it good for my career to pretend to be a Bernie Sanders supporter when it seems he's going to win? Should I reinvent myself as a centrist now that the Cillizza chair is empty at CNN? That kind of thing.
The frequent easy play - and I can't believe anyone ever falls for it - is to pretend to support/oppose something but then be dissuaded by irrelevant details.
Back in the day it was "The Iraq war is probably a bad idea, but some of the people who oppose it are also bad, so maybe it is good, really?"
The war was a horrendous crime even if someone had a dumb sign at a protest.
