All politicians lie. Most lie chronically. Some lie so much, or so brazenly, that lying becomes their “brand.”

Voters expect it. If a friend told you he was voting for candidate X and you replied, astonished, “But he lies!” imagine the look of contempt and pity you’d draw in response.

The bar for honesty in politics is so low at this stage of American decline that it might be impossible for a candidate not to clear it. This country elected Donald Trump president, then nearly elected him again. If a con man is qualified to hold our most powerful office, con men logically must be qualified to hold lesser offices. There’s no amount of dishonesty that’s disqualifying.

In theory. We’re about to test that proposition.