Saying things you know to be untrue will not win you political friends in the long run; quite the opposite: it’ll cast doubt on every other opinion you have
That's funny, Fascism has never struggled to gain followers while lying about everything. In fact, an explicit abandonment of truth and reality is inherent in most Fascist regimes, and is also prominent in other types of cult of personality authoritarianism.
Maybe outright lies are more effective at getting followers than you suggest.
That being a distasteful reality doesn't make it incorrect.
There will always be a number of loons willing to support any fringe idea you might mention.
The key is: will the bulk of the people, who are in the center, go for it?
And the answer is: if they perceive the idea as being cynical, or purposely deceptive, then no. Even if politicians temporarily get away with lies, every lie does long-term damage to a movement.
Only for those who don't understand sarcasm or other forms of figure of speech and art in general. For those I'll prefer distance anyway, so it's a win-win.
It's hyperbole, not sarcasm, and it's an effective way to neuter yourself politically. Have you ever rolled your eyes at someone going on and on about communists in the deep state?
