How dangerous are political lies?

Ever wonder why politicians and their media friends seem to lie so much more than other people? The simple answer is that the payoff can be large if others believe the lie (winning an election and gaining political and monetary power), and even if the lie is found out, most soon forget with little consequence. But in most other lines of work, lying about job performance (an airline pilot or mechanic, or a food safety inspector or worker) can be fatal.