Truth may be casualty in Campaign 2012

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - It's being called one of the most deceptive presidential campaigns in history and while voters may care about the truth, neither candidate seems too concerned.

Western New England University History Professor John Baick told 22News, “It's common for politicians to exaggerate and it's common for politicians to actively lie. In this election cycle with things moving so much faster and with an atmosphere that's more ideologically charged than ever this is the most vicious election anyone will experience in a lifetimes."

The idea of politicians stretching the truth and even purposely deceiving doesn't surprise many voters.

Sally Jane Heit of Great Barrington told 22News, “If you are a politician if you are to be elected, one you have to have money and two you have to lie, they go together."

Recent changes in campaign finance regulations have enabled political action committees to spend huge amounts of money to put out aggressive ads on their own.

They don't have to be endorsed by either candidate.

But Baick says sometimes candidates don't care if they're true.

He said "You will get caught, but so what, as long as you can convince a few people, muddy the waters of the conversation."

Many voters do care and say something has to be done.

Michell Cappelle, visiting Western Massachusetts from California, said, “Both parties have issues with telling the full truth and I think a lot of the cable and the 24 hour news contributes to that as well, I think we need more fact checking."