Challenge #01408-C313: Razzle Dazzle

"Look! I don't care how popular they are. I'm looking for a workhorse not a showpony." -- Anon Guest

Alas, Devin was the only one. The popular candidate won by a landslide. Well, sort of a landslide. The less popular candidate, the one who unfortunately told the truth about the sorry state that the nation was in, lost by a thin margin that was entirely taken up by the never-going-to-win third party candidate.

If only the voters had seen what Devin had seen.

There was a huge party, of course. And then the popular loudmouth actually attempted to fulfil his promises. He learned that he could not bully foreign nations as he bullied people. He could rattle his sabres all he liked, but the reality was more costly than the fantasy he projected.

His lies failed to work, too.

His blame-shifting was finally seen for what it was: the pathetic excuses of an ineffective man with no idea what to do once he reached the lead position in the nation.

Too late.

Far, far too late.

In order to prevent becoming a one-term leader, he declared a state of emergency. He instigated martial law and shut down the systems designed to protect the people from his demagoguery.

The revolution was long and bloody. The nation fell with its popular leader allegedly in charge, and it dragged down a great many allies with it.

All because the people did not like the truth.

All because they did not know how lies could kill.

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