297:, writing shortly after Dukakis' charge against Gephardt. Wicker commented that the accusation was not necessarily fair: "What's wrong with a Presidential candidate changing his position – though his opponents call it 'flip-flopping' – in order to improve his chances of winning? Nothing's wrong with it ... unless the flipper ... denies having done it." Wicker added that the charge can be "a tortured or dishonest interpretation of an opponent's record".
110:, which go back to 1851, the earliest unequivocal mention of "flip-flop" as a change in someone's opinion is in an October 23, 1890 report of a campaign speech in New York City. John W. Goff, candidate for district attorney, said of one of his opponents: "I would like to hear Mr. Nicoll explain his great flip-flop, for three years ago, you know, as the Republican candidate for District Attorney, he bitterly denounced
345:
Outside politics the use of the term is not as pejorative. A scientist or mathematician can often obtain some experimental results or logical proofs which causes one to change a previously held belief. Lewis Eigen, in his essay on the cultural difference between politics and scientists, observes, "To
276:
Kerry's perceived equivocation on the Iraq war damaged his 2004 campaign, according to both
Democratic and Republican political operatives. "It spoke to a pattern of calculation and indecisiveness that make him look like a weak commander in chief compared to Bush", said Jonathan Prince, a strategist
288:
has written that politicians need to be allowed some leeway in changing their minds as the result of changing conditions. "I actually think that a candidate can even change his position in response to a changing political environment, as long as they're honest about it. 'The votes just aren't there,
99:
flopper" by an opponent, Safire noted. The "fl" sound appearing twice is an indication of ridicule, he wrote. Citing grammarian
Randolph Quirk, Safire pointed out that the doubling of the sound is also a feature in other two-word phrases used to disparage the actions or words of others, including "
168:
Kerry tried to explain his vote for an $ 87 billion supplemental appropriation for military operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan by telling the crowd, "I actually did vote for the $ 87 billion, before I voted against it." After the remark became controversial, he explained that he had supported an
98:
wrote in 1988 that "flip-flop" has a long history as a synonym for "somersault". (He cited George
Lorimer in 1902: "when a fellow's turning flip-flops up among the clouds, he's naturally going to have the farmers gaping at him".) In the late 19th century, a US politician was called "the Florida
281:, Kerry's running mate in 2004. In the 2008 primary season, Edwards simply stated that "I was wrong" when he had voted in the U.S. Senate to authorize the Iraq War. "Progressives loved it because it was taking responsibility, not abdicating it", according to Prince.
72:(used in Australia and New Zealand) is a derogatory term for a sudden real or apparent change of policy or opinion by a public official, sometimes while trying to claim that the two positions are consistent with each other. It carries connotations of
175:
stated that "Kerry has never wavered from his support for giving Bush authority to use force in Iraq, nor has he changed his position that he, as
President, would not have gone to war without greater international support."
260:
The circumstances surrounding the flip-flop and its larger context can be crucial factors in whether or not a politician is hurt or helped more by a change in position. "Long hailed as a conservative champion,
289:
public support isn't there, so I have to put this proposal on the back burner for a while', is a perfectly legitimate response to a difficult position." The same general point was made in 1988 by
252:
said his "Final Flip-Flop" of ultimately deciding to drop out of running for president in the 2024 race, marked, "...a pattern established by a long career of politically convenient reversals."
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could shrug off his support of a tax increase in 1982 to curb the budget deficits his 1981 tax cut had exacerbated", according to an analysis of flip-flopping in
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164:, claiming he was "flip-flopping" his stance on several issues, including the ongoing war in Iraq. Famously, on March 16, 2004, during an appearance at
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online magazine. "Breaking a promise is a problem of a higher order than changing a policy position. Our mothers told us not to break promises".
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as a party run by bosses and in the interest of bossism. ... Nicoll, who three years ago was denouncing
Tammany, is its candidate to-day."
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331:" The Keynes quote also has been mentioned by other commentators with regard to flip-flops, including James Broder, in a 2007 article in the
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80:. Often, flip-flops occur during the period prior to or following an election in order to maximize the candidate's popularity.
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faced a crippling 1992 primary challenge after abandoning his 'no new taxes' campaign pledge in the White House."
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the scientist, failure to flip-flop in the face of contradictory evidence is irrational and dangerous behavior."
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earlier
Democratic measure that would have paid for the $ 87 billion in war funding by reducing Bush's tax cuts.
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http://scriptamus.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/flip-flop-political-vice-scientific-virtue/
413:, March 13, 1988 (comment from Wicker is as quoted by Safire), retrieved June 23, 2008
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300:"here's a difference between changing your policy position and breaking a promise,"
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economic policies. Heath abandoned such policies when his government nationalised
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most especially pertaining to her position related to support of so called "
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magazine, June 20, 2008, 6:32 pm
Eastern Time, retrieved June 23, 2008
323:, noted that in changing a position a candidate can "trot out that famous
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30:"U-turn (politics)" redirects here. For the Serbian political group, see
424:"Mighty cheers for Scott / A great meeting in Cooper Union last night"
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line, 'When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?
215:) as antithetical to Conservative beliefs. This later led to one of
432:, October 23, 1890, accessed June 23, 2008 (subscription required)
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The term "U-turn" in the United
Kingdom was famously applied to
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Lewis D. Eigen, "Flip-Flop: Political Vice–Scientific Virtue".
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used it in commenting on different events. It was also in the
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campaign. It was used by critics as a catch-phrase attack on
153:, saying, "There's a flip-flopper over here" about Gephardt.
223:." The Conservatives would adopt the free market under her.
621:, June 16, 2008, 01:02 pm ET, retrieved June 23, 2008
313:
James
Pethokoukis, the "money and politics blogger" for
583:, June 23, 2008, 12:32 pm post, accessed same day
632:"In past, clues to way Fed chief met mortgage crisis"
219:'s most famous phrases: "you turn if you want to.
319:online, referring to 2008 presidential candidate
27:Derogatory term for a change of policy or opinion
560:"Flip-Flops Are Looking Like a Hot Summer Trend"
244:" policy within the United States, as well as
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613:"7 Ways McCain Can Use Energy to Beat Obama"
450:archives, 1850–1981, retrieved June 23, 2008
103:", "wishy-washy", and "higgledy-piggledy".
647:, August 19, 2007, retrieved June 23, 2008
156:The term also was used extensively in the
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269:. "Long suspect on the Republican right,
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117:The term was also used in 1967, when a
482:"Bush Ad Twists Kerry's Words on Iraq"
461:"Kerry discusses $ 87 billion comment"
48:" (used mostly in the United States),
226:The term has been used repeatedly by
137:used the phrase against his opponent
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185:prime minister of the United Kingdom
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501:Suderman, Peter (August 20, 2019).
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644:The International Herald-Tribune
277:for 2008 presidential candidate
236:magazine to describe politician
187:from 1970 to 1974. Prior to the
530:Sullum, Jacob (July 22, 2024).
158:2004 U.S. presidential election
149:used the term against opponent
143:1988 U.S. presidential election
88:In his "On Language" column in
442:Search results for "flip-flop"
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618:U.S. News & World Report
334:International Herald-Tribune
316:U.S. News & World Report
615:, "Capital Commerce" blog,
410:The New York Times Magazine
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579:"The Campaign Spot" blog,
577:"Measuring the Flip-Flops"
284:United States commentator
221:The lady's not for turning
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32:U-Turn (Serbian coalition)
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532:"Biden's final flip-flop"
488:February 9, 2012, at the
463:. CNN. September 30, 2004
405:"Phantom of the Phrases "
637:August 27, 2005, at the
562:, "The Caucus" feature,
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248:. In regard to Biden,
679:Political terminology
611:Pethoukoukis, James,
189:1970 general election
361:Pandering (politics)
293:editorial columnist
37:For other uses, see
325:John Maynard Keynes
256:Influence on public
166:Marshall University
106:In the archives of
564:The New York Times
429:The New York Times
267:The New York Times
193:Conservative Party
108:The New York Times
91:The New York Times
592:Dickerson, John,
403:Safire, William,
341:Non-political use
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135:Gerald Ford
101:mumbo jumbo
673:Categories
658:Scriptamus
536:Reason.com
507:Reason.com
387:References
381:Volte-face
295:Tom Wicker
162:John Kerry
127:Tom Wicker
125:columnist
246:Joe Biden
197:manifesto
173:FactCheck
141:. In the
78:hypocrisy
74:pandering
46:flip-flop
39:Flip-flop
684:Rhetoric
660:, 2009,
635:Archived
541:July 24,
512:July 24,
486:Archived
376:Turncoat
350:See also
230:leaning
70:backflip
66:Malaysia
62:Pakistan
112:Tammany
84:History
58:Ireland
250:Reason
233:Reason
191:, the
183:, the
50:U-turn
599:Slate
307:Slate
123:Times
543:2024
514:2024
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