Remember when the press treated a politician's "flip-flopping" as a sign of weakness, if not outright hypocrisy or pandering? Well, that still applies...to everybody except Barack Obama.In this remarkably fawning story by Kenneth T. Walsh and published by U.S. News/Yahoo, we see how remarkably journalism's rules have been changed to fit the anointed one. Just a few years ago, such slipshod, biased, sycophantic reporting wouldn't have made it into a high school newspaper.
...Overall, however, Obama has been praised for his flexibility, not condemned for his flip-flops. One reason, pollsters say, is that he seems such a contrast to the still-unpopular Bush, who was the opposite--stubborn and set in his ways. "When presented with a tough problem where a change of course was called for, Bush just dug in. He felt that it was weakness to change his mind," says a senior Democratic strategist. He cites Bush's positions to limit stem cell research, oppose legislation expanding healthcare for children, enact partial privatization of Social Security, and pursue the Iraq war. In contrast, he says, "Obama is willing to change course if he feels it's needed. The American people will still support him if he is not seen as doing it for political reasons." [See a photo gallery of Obama's trip to the Middle East]
In addition, Obama gains respect from Americans because when he does change his mind or shift his emphasis, he takes pains to explain it to the country. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs adds that on the big issues, such as eventual withdrawal from Iraq, stimulating the economy, overhauling the healthcare system, and beefing up U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the president isn't reversing himself at all and "has done exactly what he said he would do in the campaign." [Read 10 Things You Didn't Know About Barack Obama]
What may be the most important factor of all is that Americans seem to think the country's problems, from the economy to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are so complex that Obama should be given a lot of leeway in searching for solutions.
In the end, Americans will understand and accept a president who changes course, as long as he does it for the public good or to acknowledge new realities, not for crass partisan reasons or to curry favor with particular interest groups. But there is hell to pay if a president breaks a fundamental promise and can't justify it. Perhaps the best example is George H. W. Bush, who violated his "read my lips--no new taxes" pledge from the 1988 campaign. Partly as a result, Bush lost his re-election bid in 1992.
So far, Obama's shifts have not risen to the level of a fundamental change in his views or a redefinition of his presidency. If Obama can continue to demonstrate his commitment to everyday Americans, and get results, voters probably won't hold either his flexibility or his flip-flops against him.
