So let me get this right.

U.S. President Donald Trump, the most powerful politician in the world, says he doesn含羞草研究社檛 like U.S. mainstream media because it reports, what he calls, 含羞草研究社渇ake news含羞草研究社� i.e. stories he doesn含羞草研究社檛 like being reported.

And by doing so, the news outlets are 含羞草研究社渢he enemy of the American people.含羞草研究社�

But he continually makes statements that are not true, or accusations with no evidence to back them up, and expects the media to report those utterances verbatim. That information, in his mind, is not 含羞草研究社渇ake news,含羞草研究社� despite the fact it含羞草研究社檚 not true. Am I missing something here?

Seems to me, the information Trump and his spokesfolks are spouting is what含羞草研究社檚 fake, while the reporting that it含羞草研究社檚 being said is news.

It takes 含羞草研究社渟pin含羞草研究社� to a whole new level.

But it含羞草研究社檚 not just at the upper end of the U.S. political system where spin is substituted for fact.

Politicians at all levels, in all jurisdictions and in all countries have been accused of doing the same thing at one time or another.

In a business where you are the ultimate in contract worker含羞草研究社攑olitics含羞草研究社攕pinning a line to either make yourself look better than you are, more in touch with the public than you are, more compassionate than you are or just plain more honest than you are is a time-honoured tradition.

I knew a former attorney-general of this province who once told me in politics you get elected to get re-elected. Coming from someone I thought of at the time as the most-straight-laced, honest politician I had ever met, I was taken aback by the cynicism of his statement.

Here I was含羞草研究社攁lbeit much earlier in my career as a reporter含羞草研究社攖hinking politicians got into this business for far more altruistic reasons. And, after nearly 30 years, I含羞草研究社檓 a lot more cynical and ready to believe it. But I would also like to think that some politicians do at least start off with the right intentions. But the stone-cold reality is being in power doesn含羞草研究社檛 mean much, at least in the big picture, if you can含羞草研究社檛 stay there.

Sure, you may get somethings done in the short-term. But real change takes times and that time can only come with re-election. In the U.S., a one-term president is seen as a bit of a failure. Sure,they are limited to only two four-year terms, but if they can含羞草研究社檛 win re-election, they are seen as children of a lesser god. Just ask Jimmy Carter or George Bush Senior.

In Canada, we tend to let our politicians, especially those at the top, linger far longer. The rule of thumb here seems to be a government has a shelf-life of about 10-12 years. That含羞草研究社檚 at least three elections.

And during that time, the politicians and the spin doctors alike produce plenty of 含羞草研究社渇ake含羞草研究社� news to keep the support up and the political donations rolling in.

But no other politician, despite their disdain for the reporters, has attacked the media like Trump has in the U.S. That含羞草研究社檚 because most are too smart for that.

And that含羞草研究社檚 because no mater how low we in the media fall in the estimation of the public, there含羞草研究社檚 always one group we surpass when it comes to the public含羞草研究社檚 choice for who to believe含羞草研究社攑oliticians.

Alistair Waters is the assistant editor of the Capital News.