Presidential Candidate Flip-flop
The upcoming election this November has caused a lot of confusion about both candidates’ policies. Mitt Romney has been running for president for more than six years and has been accused of changing his political stance multiple times on various topics. Obama has also altered his views, particularly on same-sex marriage. Some of Romney’s changes include his views on abortion and global warming.
According to the Tampa Bay Times Politifact, in 2002 during his campaign for Governor of Massachusetts, Romney made his stance on abortion clear. “I will preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose and am devoted and dedicated to honoring my word in that regard,” Romney said. But in 2011, during his presidential campaign, Romney said, “I am firmly pro-life.”
Romney’s so-called “flip flop” in his political stance generated considerable comment in some major media.
Journalists and comedians have found humor in his contradictory views.
Brit Hume of the republican news station Fox News attacked Romney in 2011. “You are only allowed a certain number of flips before people doubt your character,” Hume said.
Obama has shown some interest in changing one of his stances as well: Obama has not necessarily “flip flopped” his idea, but instead said that he has “evolved” in his viewpoint on same-sex marriage.
ABC News White House reporter Devin Dwyer mentioned Obama’s change of stances in his article entitled “Timeline of Obama’s ‘Evolving’ on Same-Sex Marriage.” During Obama’s presidential campaign in 2004, Obama stated “What I believe, in my faith, is that a man and a woman, when they get married, are performing something before God. And it’s not simply the two persons who are meeting.”
Again in 2010, after Obama repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, he was questioned about same-sex marriage at a White House Press Conference.
“My feelings about this are constantly evolving,” Obama said. “I struggle with this. At this point, what I’ve said is that my baseline is a strong civil union that provides them [same sex partners] the protections and the legal rights that married couples have.”
Because both candidates have altered their political views on important issues, it is important that voters are educated about the candidate they are voting for. Voters should be able to understand their candidates’ policies, and the effect those will have on the American people.
