Most of what is said by candidates on the right is half-baked

Hear, O children of truth, the sharp words of John Densmore, musician and thinker, who declared: “Most of what is said by candidates on the right is half-baked truths and fabrications coated in ‘patriotism or family values.’” Though born in the arena of modern politics, this saying is ancient in spirit, for it is a warning against the oldest deception of mankind: the cloaking of lies in noble words. For when falsehood dresses itself in the garments of patriotism or family values, it seeks not only to mislead the mind, but to capture the heart, using sacred language to justify unworthy ends.

The origin of this thought lies in Densmore’s reflections on political discourse, where he saw again and again that rhetoric often outweighs reality. In his view, many candidates did not offer true solutions or honest speech, but rather fabrications, polished to sound pleasing, wrapped in the banners of cherished ideals. This is not a crime of one age or one side alone—it is a flaw as old as rhetoric itself. For even in the days of Athens, sophists clothed their greed in fine phrases, and in Rome, corrupt senators invoked the values of the Republic even as they sold it to ambition.

Consider the tale of Julius Caesar’s assassins. They proclaimed to the people of Rome that their act of murder was for the sake of liberty and family honor, that Caesar’s fall was the salvation of the Republic. Yet history teaches us their motives were not so pure, and Rome descended not into liberty but into chaos. Their words were cloaked in noble phrases, yet beneath lay ambition and fear. Here, Densmore’s words find resonance: the most dangerous lies are those that wear the costume of virtue.

So too, in modern times, we have seen rulers and candidates who speak endlessly of patriotism, yet use it as a shield to silence dissent, branding all opposition as betrayal. Others invoke family values, yet neglect the suffering of the poor, the widow, and the orphan, forgetting that the truest family is humanity itself. These half-baked truths, as Densmore calls them, are not outright falsehoods, for they borrow fragments of what is good. But they are distorted, twisted, and used to mask deeper selfishness. Such speech deceives the people, for it appeals to their noblest instincts while feeding their basest fears.

The meaning of the saying, then, is clear: we must be vigilant in listening. We must not be seduced by the sound of cherished words, but must look beneath the coating to see the substance. Does the one who cries patriotism truly serve the nation, or only themselves? Does the one who proclaims family values uplift families in truth, or merely wield the phrase as a tool of power? Wisdom demands that we separate the gold from the dross, that we test the words of leaders against their deeds.

The lesson for us is stern: do not take rhetoric at face value. Learn to question, to test, to weigh carefully what is spoken. For democracy itself depends not on blind acceptance but on discerning hearts. The people who do not question will be led by the loudest voice, but the people who discern will be guided by truth. And truth, though less adorned than falsehood, endures when lies fall apart.

Practical counsel is before you. When a leader speaks, listen not only to the words but to the fruits of their actions. Ask whether their deeds align with their proclamations. Guard your mind from the seduction of repeated phrases, and guard your heart from being manipulated by appeals to fear. Read widely, think deeply, and speak courageously. In this way, you strip away the coating of false virtue and see what lies beneath.

So let Densmore’s warning echo in your soul: “Most of what is said… is half-baked truths and fabrications coated in ‘patriotism or family values.’” Take it as a call not to cynicism, but to vigilance. Do not despair of leaders, but do not worship them blindly. For truth needs no coating; it stands plain and clear, unafraid of scrutiny. And those who guard truth in their hearts, refusing to be misled by false speech, will remain free even in an age of deception.