Just when you thought this whole flip-flopping issue had finally quieted down within the confines of political mudslinging and the media, Sarah Palin has to join the McCain ticket and it starts anew. This time it has to do with Sarah Palin’s so-called, “bridge to nowhere.” This whole deal concerns the Gravina Island bridge in Ketchikan, Alaska that she supported when she ran for governor in 2006. However, she changed her mind and decided not to build the bridge, but rather spend the money on what she and voters felt were the more important transportation issues. We of course do not get the full story from the media, for some reason, and again the Anchorage Daily News comes out on top of the national media when it comes to in depth quality reporting.
Support for the bridge dramatically declined amongst the Governor and people as the cost of building the bridge kept climbing, eventually to the point that it would cost the tax payer 400 million dollars to complete. The Anchorage Daily News even wrote an editorial pleading to the Governor that she would cancel the building of the bridge, which she did due to the climbing cost of the project and the fact that the public wanted more pressing issues to be accomplished. This bridge, that the Governor and public concluded was not worth the time, money or effort, was then shot down by Sarah Palin who worked in correlation to sound fiscal responsibility, her previously demonstrated views on cutting excessive arbitrary spending, and the will of the public. How that is bad, I do not know.
Thing is, I have always disliked the flip-flopping argument amongst all the candidates. What is important is the outcome, not how one reached their conclusion. We, the voters, do this all the time concerning issues within our personal lives, but cease to think twice about them. Even when friends, family and co-workers do the same it usually doesn’t occur to us, probably because its not in the public arena and blasted all over TV. However, concerning our politicians it, becomes issue because apparently everyone thinks that our elected officials need to be above the normal human thought process, emotion or mistake. We should examine our elected officials, this much I am not disputing, however we need to keep our expectations reasonable as well. I guarantee that every one in politics or running for political office has these flip-flops in their past. (Now to plagiarize a little off one of my previous blog posts concerning the subject...)
I don't mind a political figure changing their perspective on important issues, for socially our country is in constant flux concerning all issues. We need our candidates to be sensitive and not ignorant of this. The constant change and fluctuation of conditions and opinions within all forms of communal issues requires this; that our political applicant is willing to concede and alter his political views for the good of the people if such a situation arises, especially if that situation remains unforeseen.
This term, "flip-flop," however needs to be distinguished from a real relevant change in policy, and one that is completely arbitrary. This is the first factor that should be looked at in defining a true "flipfloppian," viewpoint. Is the change in policy relevant to pressing political or social circumstances? Second, that catalyst which has shifted ones perspective needs to be examined as well, if there even is one. Could it be concluded that it was a reasonable decision based on the data avalible? As mentioned before, because the catalysts concerning Sarah Palin and the bridge to nowhere were sound fiscal responsibility, the cutting arbitrary spending, and the will of the public; I feel her decisions cease to be a flip-flop because her conclusion had a solid, logical basis.
I therefore conclude that this flip-flopping argument holds no water realistically. If you are going to use this argument against Palin, which is your right as a voter, remember, you have to use the same degree of scrutiny against EVERY politician. Good luck in November.
Just because I hate whiny musicians...
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