“There is a level of adherence to rules on the other side [Republicans] that only when you’re at the very highest level, do you get over.” The preceding was uttered by a Democratic operative named Scott Foval while caught on hidden video in 2016. Foval knows of what he speaks, too — his business is rule-breaking (vote fraud).

But are Republicans really more honest than Democrats? Well, the two groups’ characteristic professions may provide some insight.

Writing about this Sunday, commentator Noel S. Williams opened talking about Kamala Harris’ gross prevarications at the Democratic National Convention. He then listed as some of her “whoppers” the following:

• Trump wants to disrupt Social Security.
• Trump wants to ravage Medicare.
• Trumps wants a national ban on abortion.
• Trump encouraged Putin to invade Ukraine (it was Biden who invited a “minor incursion”).

We can add that Democrats will also often claim Republicans want to ban contraception and IVF. (Of course, the GOP has proposed no such thing and has no intention of doing so.)

Politics Is “The Art of the Possible [Lie?]”

Williams then laments how politics attracts the “unscrupulous.” (In this vein, note that an inordinate number of sociopaths, narcissists, Machiavellians and, perhaps, sadists gravitate toward it.) The writer went on to remark on how the Democrats largely lack a policy agenda. So what’s “the ultimate point,” he asks, “other than to be coddled with the perks of power?” (Yes, politics attracts megalomaniacs, too.)

Say what you will about Donald Trump, Williams then states, but at least he’s forthcoming about his MAGA platform.

Not Just Politics

Yet, Williams also points out, Democrats don’t reserve their mendacity to politics. “A worthy consideration is the potential correlation between reputedly dishonest professions and one’s political party affiliation,” he states. The commentator then presents the top five Republican-dominated fields, using data drawn from career-expert website Zippia, and writes:

Professions with the most Republican representation are largely respected and trusted:

• Missionary – divinely inspired enthusiasm, but not much blatant dishonest[y] for purely nefarious purposes. (Some in the clergy who brought disrepute were not missionaries, per se).
• Logger – not even on any list of dishonest professions.
• Trucker – not even on the list of dishonest professions….
• Roofer – once the work has been contracted, the roofers themselves have little motivation to “lie” as they risk their health and safety to reinforce our shelters.
• Mason – no need to lie about building things with bricks, blocks, and stone. Just good-for-the soul hard work fostering a labor of love.

The Darker Half

Williams then presents the top five Democrat-dominated fields, writing:

Professions with the most Democrat representation are viewed more warily.

• Union Organizer – labor union leaders have a lowly 24% honesty and ethics rating….
• Data Scientist – there are Lies, damned lies, and government statistics. Those who work for the government are particularly deceitful. Others contribute to research that is not reproducible, partly due to “a problem of statistics.”
• Environmentalist – even they admit their hypocrisy.
• Social worker – … They may be inclined toward prejudiced research that justifies social activism — and funding. Many are also determined to help illegal aliens infiltrate our society with various forms of welfare, health care, and remedial education.
• High school teacher – Many are no doubt conscientious; nevertheless … their noble cause is corrupted. Too many lie to their students as they promote revisionism (the 1619 Project), wokeism, and gender nonconformity. College teachers are even worse….

In fairness, there’s a big difference between having no “inherent need to lie” or little “motivation” to do so in a profession, as sometimes stated above, and actually being honest. This said, and as the aforementioned Democrat Foval confessed, Republicans do appear more honest. Explanation?

The Rest of the Story

First note that the Dem-Rep association is a correlation. And more significant than party labels is what they generally reflect: people’s worldview. Democrats tend to be liberal and Republicans conservative; moreover, liberals tend to be atheistic/relativistic and Republicans more faith-and-objectivity-oriented.

This phenomenon reminds me of a story. At a former workplace decades ago, I caught a liberal colleague committing a transgression. An older middle-aged fellow who as saving graces had some self-awareness and a sense of humor, he alluded to his action. “Situational values,” he said, glancing at me and chuckling.

Liberals and, unfortunately, our society in general (pervaded as it is with liberalism) talk much about “values.” Our distant ancestors didn’t — they spoke of “virtues.”

Values easily become “situational” because they are relative, being, as leftists themselves emphasize, “social constructs.” In fact, “situationalism” is just relativism applied impulsively by the individual, as opposed to by society or some official entity. To analogize it loosely, if relativism is our time’s cultural climate, “situationalism” is the day-to-day variation in weather.

Virtues are different. They are objective — elements of Truth — which itself is authored by God. Honesty is technically a virtue, and someone recognizing it as such understands it’s nonnegotiable. When considered a mere value, however, it’s then at most a preference — to be ignored when it conflicts with a more cherished preference (e.g., the attainment of power).

To sum up, conservatives are more virtuous, mainly because of their childhood formation. They also are more likely than liberals to have faith and believe morality, including honesty, is objective and thus nonnegotiable. Liberals generally don’t believe in God and Truth, in a real sense. They are defined by moral relativism.

And the ultimate result of relativism is to make everything relative to oneself. One implication of this is that to the self, it’s often convenient to lie.