request.method == "post" returns a false, but
request.POST is a dictionary. When it is not empty it returns True. 
request.method == 'POST' (note the upper-case for POST and the double equal sign ==) is checking the method. 
I believe that you made request.method = 'post' which is clearly not what you meant.
I am adding data from a ModelForm to the db, but "if request.POST returns" a true, and if "request.method = 'post'" returns a false.  How can that be?  From what I understand it is supposed to work the other way around.