For and Against

“He was for it before he was against it.”  This has been one of the most persistent memes in politics, and to a younger generation of voters is more salient than the previous champion, “What did he know and when did he know it?”

On its face, it seems like a reasonable question to ask.  With greater media scrutiny and an easily accessible archive of news, it’s more difficult than ever to change or refine a position without earning the wrath of your political opponents, tagged as either a Waffler or a Flip-Flopper.  However, there are a number of reasons why such arguments don’t hold water.

Too many external factors.

It’s one thing to say “Are you for private charity?  Or against it?”  The answer would be simple for most.  However, once you find out that the particular charity in mind provides free heroin to middle-school students, then you might blink.

This happens more than you might think in Congress, as Senators and Congressman play games with bills.  They mark them up, tag them with riders, and bloat them with pork.  Sometimes, they manage to sneak in a “poison pill,” an amendment so onerous or self-serving that it gets the whole piece of legislation killed.  Since there’s no official vote other than Yea/Nay/Present, you can be for something and still vote against it.

Personal Growth

We all change.  Most of us, if open-minded, will adjust positions over time.  The key to believability here is the sincerity present in the description of the life-changing moment.  Maybe it’s a loved one who gets terribly ill whose experience gives a politician a different perspective.  Maybe it’s the new friend or co-worker who helps destroy a long-held stereotype.  Maybe it’s losing your religion, or being born again.  It takes a story that rings true, though.

Improper Context

The sound bite culture is too prone to abuse by those who are careful editors.  The stripping away dependent clauses can destroy the context of what someone was trying to communicate.  In other instances, the written word lacks facial expressions or verbal tone that indicate irony.  Beware someone who tries to back up an assertion while attempting to deny you the source material.

Verbal flubs

I’ll dip to a concrete example here.  Sen. Obama and “my Muslim faith.”  It’s clear in the context of the conversation that Obama meant to say “Christian.”  George Stephanopolous brought it to his immediate attention for a quick correction.  The Monday Morning Freudians will try to tell you that Obama’d guard was down, and he was expressing a hidden desire.  Such a question might have merit if the word “Muslim” had not already been uttered.  Words and ideas can do a somersault between the brain and the breath, and those isolated aberrationgs are not an arbiter of truth.

Fair Game

So, what is Fair Game?  Unexplained shifts in position.  Changes in attitude that come with suspicious or opportune timing.  Waffles that attempt to completely deny the existence of a previous stance.

On matters of importance, we deserve to know what drives the distinction, and then it’s up to us to determine as individuals if that explanation is valid and sound.