Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Commentary on Flip-Flopping and the Presidential Race.

Untrustworthy, two-faced, and/or a backstabber. These are some of the words that come to mind when a politician takes a position on an issue and then takes a complete opposite stance on the same issue. This is known as flip-flopping. Saying that flip-flopping on just one topic, let alone a whole laundry list of them, is detrimental to a politician's campaign is an understatement. It is the equivalent of a breaching of trust between a politician and his or her supporters. A flip-flopping politician is on the same level as a general leading his troops into battle and when the those troops are confronted by the enemy troops, the general either surrenders, says "to hell with it I'm going home", or defecting to the enemy army right on the battlefield. In the case of any political race, especially a race for the President of the United States, the general would be the candidate and the troops would be the candidate's supporters and potential voters of that particular candidate. If that candidate flip-flops on an issue, whether it be one issue or one thousand issues regardless of the essence of that issue, it is not a telling, but a screaming to his or her supporters that you lied to them on an issue that they care about.


The flip-flopping that plagued elections past is in abundant supply in this year's Presidential race between Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL). This commentary is not about who flip-flops the most or about who rightfully or wrongfully accuses the other of flip-flopping. This is about holding the candidates accountable for switching their views and stances on the same issue. The trust of the American People should never be breached. Flip-flopping is a breach of said trust. Both Senators McCain and Obama, who have flip-flopped in this election, need to understand that flip-flopping can and possibly will cost them the presidency. The people, regardless of political affiliation, deserve better than a politician who can not keep his or her stance on an issue consistent. The aforementioned sacred trust is never to be violated. Flip-flopping violates that trust. How can the voters trust either Senators McCain or Obama when they both change their positions on Iraq, the economy, global warming, and oil drilling among other issues?

The presidential election this year will be hotly contested. There is no doubt about it. This election will have ramifications on the value of the U.S. dollar. This election will have ramifications on the price of oil, which determines how much we pay at gas stations. This election will have ramifications on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This election will have ramifications on the economy and our health care. This election will have ramifications on our environment. Senators Obama and McCain understand this well and so do the American People. The presidential candidates know what is at stake and they both know that they can not lose the trust of the American People. Flip-flopping will do just that. It will destroy the credibility of the candidate and cost him the election. The voters will never trust their future to a candidate who has no credibility. Senators McCain and Obama have both flip-flopped in this election. If either one of them hopes to win this election, they need to end the flip-flopping and to be consistent with the promises they make to the people of the United States of America. This election, given what is going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, given the state our economy, given the mortgage and home-owner crises, and given how much we pay at the pump is one of the most crucial in history. We need a president we can trust. We do not need a president that turns out to be untrustworthy, two-faced, and/or a backstabber.

Good night and good luck.