Changing what you believe just shows that you know you were wrong. Kerry was labeled a flip-flop because he changed his mind about the Iraq war. And everyone thought that was a bad thing. When really, it just showed that he new he was wrong and he was ready to accept it.
2006-07-24 09:13:43 · 12 answers · asked by The Thpeech Pathologitht™ 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
sorry about the "it" in there. a little mistake.
2006-07-24 09:23:15 · update #1
changing your mind is not bad, but it seems the majority of the people prefer somebody who talks simple, black and white, and say popular things, than somebody who is smart, differenciated, nuanced. People want to understand their leaders, and since the majority seems quite ignorant, populists appeal to them very much, not somebody who makes people feel stupid by explaining the world is more complex and a war is more than just 'kicking saddam's butt' or a superbowl game, unlike what american news channels like Fox news, with headlines like "Showdown in Iraq!" made people believe.
And one way that populists will undermine their opponent who is smarter than himself, is by evading the SUBJECT but make it personal instead, labelling. So the election was basically between a chimp and a flip flop.
2006-07-24 09:20:23 · answer #1 · answered by reageer 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Bush's propaganda mill made it sound like Kerry changed his mind as often as his socks. In truth, Bush's ads revealed only part of the question that was asked and only part of his answer. If you checked out the full Q and the full A. you'd have seen he was fairly consistent. He objected to the war on virtually every turn but voted to support the American troops on the ground, because, like it or not, they ARE over there and not supporting them won't bring them home However, fighting the reason they are there might.
2006-07-24 09:26:40 · answer #2 · answered by Alan S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think more people view this as "bad" when it happens more than once. In the political world however, nothing is safe. Kerry could have decided to go for chocolate ice cream then back to vanilla and then to twist and everyone would have said he's undecisive. The trick is to look past all the mud-slinging and see what the people are actually going to do when stuff goes down and decisions need to be made fast and accurately.
2006-07-24 09:18:28 · answer #3 · answered by mad1badbadger 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Normally I would agree with you. Obviously there are times when a politician changes his/her mind for the better and people respect it. If the views of your constituents change, sometimes you have to change also. Or if you realize you were wrong about something.
But with Kerry it seemed so insincere. It really felt like he was just pandering. It seemed like he couldn't even make up his mind - talking to Veterans "it's a good thing we got Saddam out of power" and talking to liberals "it was a huge mistake." I voted for him because he was by a wide, WIDE, margin the lesser of two evils but he really needs to figure out what is best for the country instead of blowing in the wind.
2006-07-24 09:17:00 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because a lot of times flip-flop is describing somebody's mood. In this case though, it is because human instinct is to avoid anything unpredictable, if Kerry changed his mind once, many people beleive he will do it again. I don't have anything against flip flop people, i might sometimes describe myself as one! Don't worry about it too much, everybody does it! :)
2006-07-24 09:18:58 · answer #5 · answered by Jordan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
convinced, wearing turn flops will bring about issues over the years. no longer purely will it reason your arches to fall over the years, yet they don't provide proper ankle stability, which may bring about different sorts of injuries. only because they're comfortable, it does no longer recommend they're sturdy for you! And if you happen to recommend only getting turn flops with arch help, i do no longer purchase into that. i imagine those arch helps are specially for stylish applications seeing that those type of sandals are conventional those days, so it is only a advertising tactic -- I have a tendency to believe turn flops and arch helps to be an oxymoron.
2016-11-25 21:50:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very well said.It's all propaganda.
Circumstances change and therefor it's a quality if a leader is willing to question his own position.Everyone should always keep thinking and for a leader this is essential.A true Statesman changes his position if new realities occur.Others,the so called steadfast leaders change reality to fit into their position.
Someone who is too lazy to keep thinking after he decides should not be president of the US.
2006-07-24 09:25:36 · answer #7 · answered by justgoodfolk 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's one way to interpret it, but his opponents wanted voters to interpret his change of mind differently. They wanted people to see him as unreliable, unsure of himself and not to be counted on to represent the wishes of the voters. Nobody wants to vote for a guy who embraces all the same issues you do, only to have him change his mind on all of them after he's elected, and that's what the Republicans wanted voters to believe that Kerry would do.
2006-07-24 09:19:12 · answer #8 · answered by mockingbird 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it is bad to be a flip flop. No, wait, I do think it is bad to be a flip flop.
2006-07-24 09:18:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
so if i think murdering is wrong, but then i change my mind and decide murder isn't wrong, it is human nature to want to kill, then i decide again that murder is wrong. where do i stand on the issue and how can i be trusted which day which way i will think?
2006-07-24 09:22:26 · answer #10 · answered by turntable 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋