By Michael Fryzel
In the political world, astute individuals have made millions of dollars advising politicians on what to say, how to say it, and what to do if you mess those things up.
They are the people who explain what the politician really meant when they said something that made them look incompetent, out of touch, off base or just plain stupid. These individuals are called spin doctors. Wikipedia refers to them as individuals “who manipulate the truth and create a biased interpretation of events. “
Now that we are heading into the presidential primaries, almost every declared candidate, some more often than others, has been required to seek treatment and advice from one of the spin doctors. Most often the need has resulted from a candidate having said one thing about an issue and then days, weeks, months or even years later, taking the opposite view.
This reversal of opinion and adoption of an opposite view has traditionally been called a flip-flop. The candidate may have released a position paper, held a press conference or responded to a question during a campaign event and by doing so took a definitive position on an issue. Usually the position was one that benefited the candidate amongst his supporters and at the time was the most expedient response or stance.
Fast forward in time and the candidate is again asked about the same issue. The 180-degree turnaround then occurs and the opposite position is taken. The new stand becoming the right political move at the time resulting in the classic flip-flop. But wait, the spin doctor appears and says not so, my candidate’s position has “evolved.” This was not a flip-flop.
Candidates who now change their minds and reverse their positions on issues to further their political agenda believe that it is all right to do so. Their answer is that after serious thought, gradual consideration and development of a better understanding, their position “evolved “and is now the correct one.
What Does This Mean?
So for the voters what does this mean? Simply this; a candidate’s position on any issue can change at any time. No explanation is needed as it is simply called a candidate’s evolution. If you have an issue that is of great importance to you and you support a specific candidate because their position agrees with yours, you may have a decision to make. If your candidate flip-flops on that issue, excuse me I meant to say evolves, you may now question your support of them. You may need to decide whether you can live with the evolution or look for someone who is closer to your position on that issue.
If all this give you a headache, take two aspirin and call the real doctor in the morning.
Michael E. Fryzel is an attorney and advisor to the financial services industry with offices in Chicago, Illinois. He is a past Chairman and Board Member of the National Credit Union Administration. He can be reached at meflaw@aol.com.