More political madness that prevents good government: We don’t allow our politicians to change their minds, even though they often need to. A politician who is open to persuasion is condemned as a flip-flopper. So observes Kathleen Parker:
A politician may be able to survive cavorting with prostitutes, sexting with coeds and commingling with interns, but heaven forbid he should change his mind — the transgression that trumps all compassion.
Or thinking.
After all, thinking can lead to that most dangerous territory for a politician — doubt — and, inevitably, the implication that dare not be expressed: “I could be wrong.”
via A defense of flip-floppery – The Washington Post.
Of course there are true flip-flops, the changing of a position simply because of shifts in the political wind, a sign of cynical relativism and lack of conviction. And yet it’s the sign of a rational mind to be open to better reasoning and honest persuasion. How can we voters tell the difference?
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