“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”
John Maynard Keynes, the influential British economist whose ideas are known as Keynesian Economics, sums up how I feel about the overused American political term “flip-flop”:
When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?
Well sir, I change my mind as well. But I don’t count. I’m a regular guy dealing with an ever-changing situation at work were I have to constantly flip-flop due to layoffs, company strategy, and overall business strangeness due to my supervisory position. Guess we regular folks have leeway in our lives where politicians don’t.
As you can tell, I’m no fan of the term “flip-flop”. And during this election season, I’m giving both Senators (Obama and McCain) leeway simply because we are in a transitory period in America. There are high levels of uncertainty in the electorate that haven’t been seen in a long time. High fuel prices, the vanishing of big manufacturing, more and more globalization, two mostly-unpopular wars, increasing food prices, increasing higher education, etc. This transition period in America is causing the facts to change “on the ground” faster than what Obama and McCain probably expected. So I’m treating them like regular guys. I’m giving them leeway.
I want to see the overall package at the end of the campaigning. Then I will cast my vote on that November day. We’ll see whose “flip-flops” makes their overall package more appealing.
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10 Responses to ““When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?””
Your point would be stronger is you can describe any fact that change that would explain why Senator Obama was against drilling, against gasoline tax holidays, and against using the strategic reserves a few months ago but is in favor of drilling and in favor of releasing oil from the strategic reserve today.
The only thing that has changes are the poll numbers, not the facts.
John McCain only seems to experience these changes of heart when significant amounts of money hit his campaign coffers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ar…
As for Obama releasing supply from the strategic reserve, that has proven to be an effective ploy in the past to actually bring down prices.
Flip flopping on facts is one thing. Flip flopping on principals or ethics is something else.
What would happen if Obama said Im opposed to abortion and want a new amendment against it? Outrage……..thats a principal or ethics position. If you say no to drilling then you say, well maybe we need to drill then that is acceptable if their are reasons to do so.
If McCain said Im in favor of abortion and Im going to put a judge on the supreme court that favors it…….that would instill outrage. Flip flopping on drilling because oil is now 140 dollars a bbl when a few years back it was 25 is reason to change.
The facts change……..so should positions.
“Flip-flop” is dumbed-down language some of us refuse to use either for “reveral” or for “sandal.”
An alternative description of what Obama has done is that he has hedged by claiming both sides, both positions, about something. That way he cannot lose. In other words, it is standard, seasoned politician behavior. I am not surprised.
DLS, I like the term “hedging” a million times more than “flip-flopping”.
Obama is stil likely to win so far…
“Flip-flop” is dumbed-down language some of us refuse to use either for “reveral” or for “sandal.”
An alternative description of what Obama has done is that he has hedged by claiming both sides, both positions, about something. That way he cannot lose. In other words, it is standard, seasoned politician behavior. I am not surprised.
DLS, I like the term “hedging” a million times more than “flip-flopping”.
Obama is stil likely to win so far…
sorry for the lousy machine I”m using. Everyone gets a break — I'm done!