The late Ross Lence, my mentor in undergraduate school, used to laugh when his students decried the lies of politicians. Lence contended that we expect – indeed, we want – our politicians to lie in order to make us feel better about the myths that we rely on about ourselves and our country in our day-to-day lives.

The late Johnny Carson provides a hilarious take on politicians’ lies in this classic video from almost 30 years ago. Enjoy.