Ameritocracy

» The Rhetoric and the Reality

A political convention is a license if not to lie then at least to tell the truth creatively. At their quadrennial gatherings over the last two weeks, Democrats and Republicans presented their records and their platforms — and those of their opponents — through typically partisan lenses that blurred or distorted the real picture.Both sides filled the airwaves with dubious claims, exaggerations and selective statistics. Here is a reality check for a sampling of statements made at the conventions.
— JACKIE CALMES and PETER BAKER