Nothing wrong with "flip-flopping" when circumstances warrant it.

[Nye Bevan]

Take Bernie Sanders, for example. In 2001 he voted for the war in Afghanistan. Then in 2008 he called it an "unwinnable war" and voted against funding it. But now he supports keeping troops in Afghanistan and prolonging the war beyond 2016.

This is in no way a criticism of Bernie Sanders. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking note of changing circumstances and shifting your position accordingly.

[merrily]

1. Flip flopping is not ok for a politician when polls are the reason for the change.

FYI, I could be wrong, but I don't think FeeltheBern is an official source.

[deathrind]

2. No it isn't.

At least not the first time. Imo. As one president once said (paraphrased)

"I like to think I wake up each day a little more intelligent then I was yesterday"

[ibegurpard]

3. And how have circumstances changed to warrant her flip-flops?

Other than different polling results?

[Fumesucker]

4. Just to take one issue, gay rights for instance

How does "changing circumstances" make a "sacred bond" into a non sacred one?

"I believe marriage is not just a bond but a sacred bond between a man and a woman. I have had occasion in my life to defend marriage, to stand up for marriage, to believe in the hard work and challenge of marriage. So I take umbrage at anyone who might suggest that those of us who worry about amending the Constitution are less committed to the sanctity of marriage, or to the fundamental bedrock principle that it exists between a man and a woman, going back into the midst of history as one of the founding, foundational institutions of history and humanity and civilization, and that its primary, principal role during those millennia has been the raising and socializing of children for the society into which they are to become adults."

[Nye Bevan]

9. Yes, that's another issue that Sanders has evolved on (to his credit).

But when Sanders was asked by a reporter whether Vermont should legalize same-sex marriage, he said no. “Not right now, not after what we went through,” he said.

That same year, Sanders was asked in a debate during his first run for the Senate about a Massachusetts state court decision that legalized gay marriage. The debate moderator wanted to know if Sanders thought the federal government should overturn that decision. He responded by talking about states’ rights, which is an argument often used by politicians who have argued against federal recognition of gay marriage as well.

“I believe the federal government should not be involved in overturning Massachusetts or any other state because I think the whole issue of marriage is a state issue,” Sanders said in the 2006 debate.

It wasn’t until 2009 that Sanders publicly voiced support for gay marriage, years after many of his contemporaries in Vermont. The state legislature voted to legalize gay marriage that March and overrode a gubernatorial veto to pass it into law in April. It’s unclear when exactly Sanders took his position. When asked, his campaign provided a news article from July of that year which noted that he had “previously supported” it.

http://time.com/4089946/bernie-sanders-gay-marriage/

[Betty Karlson]

10. That speech is starting to irk me ever more and no two ways about it.

This is so phoney: either she hasn't evolved, but is pretending to have our backs, only to abandone us for political expediency; or she didn't need evolving, but feigned social conservatism for political expediency back then. Either way: she cannot be trusted.

[HassleCat]

5. More is better

Changing positions on important issues is good. The candidate who shows the most flexibility is the best candidate. OK, that was a little fun with reductio ad absurdum, but it suggests too much of a good thing is a bad thing. How much flexibility should a politician have? How frequently should they change positions? Are there some issues on which our leaders should stand firm and not change positions?

[Dawgs]

6. Nice try, but you are so wrong.

Thanks for supporting someone that will probably vote for another Iraq war, another TPP, and another Keystone. We appreciate it.

I'm sure you'll be telling us all in four years how Hillary regretted those decisions once she got new information.

[tularetom]

7. You mean "circumstances" like public opinion?

Because there is a lot wrong with flip flopping because your media advisors, focus group gurus, and paid pollsters tell you that your positions are no longer acceptable to a majority of American voters.

[VanillaRhapsody]

8. How about when he flip-flopped and finally became a Democrat

after years of disparaging them and proudly proclaiming NOT to be one...THAT is a pretty big Flip Flop right there...

[ThePhilosopher04]

11. Bernie changes based on core principles and changing conditions ...

Hillary flip flops based on political expediency. Major difference. One is authentic, the other is a chameleon.

[KansDem]

12. His initial vote came 3 days after 9/11

Of course he voted for military action. Everyone did who cast a vote. After all, we had just been attacked by Saddam Hussein!

Then when it became clear that Bush et al lied to us; that Saddam had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11: that Bush sat and did nothing when told the US was under attack; when it became clear Bush claimed to have seen the first WTC hit while standing outside a classroom waiting to go in to read to the kids (during which time he did nothing when told by his chief-of-staff that the US was under attack); when Bush admitted that explosions actually brought down the towers; when Bush censored 28 pages of the official 9/11 commission report because it implicated his family's friends and business partners, the Saudi Royal Family; when it was reported that Bush had been warned of such an attack and did nothing; then Bernie realized the US was in an "unwinnable war," and he voted against funding the continuation of Bush's lies.

And since the Taliban's rise to power was a result of Bush's lies, then, unfortunately, the US needs to counter its destructive forces, so Bernie. along with Hillary, backed Obama's decision.

[Gman]

13. Only a fool or right winger thinks positions cannot change

Or is that redundant?

[procon]

14. The label "flip-flopping", is a Republican perjorative.

It was applied to John Kerry, the Democratic Presidential nominee to provide cover for George W. Bush's failed and calcified Iraq War strategy of, "stay the course". At any other point in American history, any successful leader was lauded for being mentally flexible. Past presidents were always able to think on their feet while nimbly processing new data that required them to make rapid shifts in policies.

Rather than mimicking the tragedy of today's GOP that has remained petrified, rigid and intractable for the past 30 years, Democrats have always prided ourselves for being open-minded enough to change our thinking as time and circumstances evolve. Stop emulating this acrimonious Republican tactic to attack other Democrats who have the commendable skillset necessary to adjust and refocus their ideas to reflect the dynamic shifts in current events, and the varying interests of voters.

[BlueMTexpat]

16. I agree absolutely.

I personally do not like the label to be applied to ANY of our Dem candidates. Frankly, I'd like to see this particular term and others like it that come from GOPer playbooks to be subject to automatic alerts on DU.

But that is just my personal bias and likely will not happen.

A person who is unable to change his/her mind is NOT a person that I ever want to see in the WH.

[askew]

15. Flip-flopping occasionally is fine when it is done all the time there is an issue.

It's also a problem when politicians lie about their previous positions which Hillary does all the time.