McCain and Obama Walk the Flip-Flopping Tightrope
Both candidates are trying to position themselves as pragmatic leaders in an ever changing world
Corrected 08/08/08: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the tax issue. It should have said that McCain now supports the big tax cuts enacted during Bush's first term.
So what is acceptable as a reason to change one's mind? More information. Additional time to reflect more deeply about a problem. Changed conditions.
Most of all, Americans consider a flip-flop acceptable if they trust a leader to do the right thing. That was the case with Franklin Roosevelt. After promising to balance the budget in the 1932 campaign, he took office and began an unprecedented run of deficit spending. But Americans thought his expensive social programs helped them to weather the Depression, and they forgave FDR one of the biggest flip-flops in U.S. history. Moral: Reversals don't necessarily doom a leader—as long as the new policy seems to work better than the old one.
Reader Comments
gop apologists..
God, when will republicans admit that they were at their stupidest best when they gave Bush another term in 2004.. An administration that has (1) screwed up the economy beyond repair by its profligate policies (2) went to war on one lie after another screwing up the lives/families of hundreds of thousands of people (3) that has more morally and ethically dishonest guys than the democrats as has been seen in the past few years (4) has helped the Taliban/Al Queda/Laden rise to more power thru' its policies instead of using all its resources in catching / destroying the above trio (5) has a new candidate who is using the same exact republican machines of hate and prejudice like talk radio and fox news for getting reelected.
Why cant the GOP supporters see the truth? I bet McCain may very well get elected becoz there are many gop supporters like Gerald who believe in the concept of a 'liberal' media swamping out the gospel truth being spewed out by foxnews and talk radio.. Wake up dude and smell the roses.. else the promise that is America will sink to even further depths by the next decade..
Mission Accomplished!
That was NOT a GOP phrase.
The banner was erected by the crew of the carrier as they were sailing home from a wartime deployment. It was narrowly meant to apply only to them and their part of the war.
But the ever vigilant Democrat spin doctors made a great switch and made it a worldwide "Bush lie,"
I guess it really is a Democratic Catch Phrase lie.
The press, abandoning the truth to keep the liberal lie about the war afloat (pun is intended), perpetutated it for almost a decade.
If you believe anything else, I have a bridge across San Francisco Bay I'll sell you.
'the surge"
"The Surge is Working" reminds me of another Republican catchphrase from a few years back: remember this one?
"MISSION ACCOMPLISHED"
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