# Flip-flop much? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 23, 2020, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flip-flop-much/852401 "2020-04-23T02:50:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flip-flop-much/852401/21 "2020-04-23T23:51:15Z")
When faced with accusations of flip-flopping, Keynes has been attributed with saying something like “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?” But I hardly see how you can apply this virtuous position to Trump, since nothing he says or does is based on facts. Inconsistent self-contradictory rambling based on what he thinks will sound impressive and popular is not the same thing as flip-flopping between two well reasoned positions. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flip-flop-much/852401/22 "2020-04-24T03:34:57Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > The Republican political strategy in a nutshell: “I know Trump screws everybody who supports him, but he’d never screw ME!” > > As a Georgia voter, I know Kemp, and it gives me exquisite pleasure to see such a feckless Trump lackey get screwed so hard by Trump. By November, will most Georgia worshipers of Trimp the Chimp even remember this, or that everything he touches dies? Won’t new flows of bullshit distract their attention? > [@](#): > > However, this will not teach Republicans any lessons. They do not learn lessons, they double down like sweaty desperate gamblers who just lost a lot of mob-borrowed money at the blackjack table. The lesson learned is “Never Give A Inch!”(\*) Retreat means defeat. Only luzers admit error. Always attack, never apologize. Drive on! - [Never Give A Inch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sometimes_a_Great_Notion_(film)) [sic] is the retitled film from Ken Kesey’s novel [Sometime A Great Notion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sometimes_a_Great_Notion) about a strike-breaking Oregon logging family. After a falling tree severs Henry Fonda’s arm, Paul Newman nails it to his boat’s mast with forefinger upright, telling the unionized\*\* community to Fuck Off. That’s Trimp the Chimp’s way. \*\* How many syllables in the word “unionized”? Chemist: 4 Non-chemist: 3 ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flip-flop-much/852401/23 "2020-04-24T04:05:26Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > \*\* How many syllables in the word “unionized”? > Chemist: 4 > Non-chemist: 3 A good trivia question - what’s are the two _opposites_ of “unionized”? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flip-flop-much/852401/24 "2020-04-24T13:48:44Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > This drives me bananas. If someone is wrong, not only do I want them to change their mind, I want other people to see them change their mind and follow suit. > > When a wrong person changes their mind **and gets shit for it** , other people will see that and say, “Forget that nonsense, no way am I gonna change my mind.” > > All the public pressure should be on wrong people to change; but when they do, as long as the change is sincere they should be lauded for it, not scolded for it. Ditto. It’s a perfect example of a catchy phrase obfuscating what’s really important. Being able to develop, evolve, and change positions based on knowledge and experience is good. Constantly or dramatically changing one’s position in order to garner votes or to be more well-liked is bad. Taking a new position while pretending it’s not a new position so you don’t loose the people who disagree with your new position is bad. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flip-flop-much/852401/25 "2020-04-24T15:26:05Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > A good trivia question - what’s are the two _opposites_ of “unionized”? Ionized and at-risk? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flip-flop-much/852401/26 "2020-04-24T16:32:28Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > A good trivia question - what’s are the two _opposites_ of “unionized”? An even better question: do you say “a unionized \_\_\_\_\_\_” or “an unionized \_\_\_\_\_\_\_”. I wish I could find a single word to fit in the blank. BTW, these questions cannot be spoken aloud. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flip-flop-much/852401/27 "2020-04-24T17:35:50Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > > [@AHunter3](#): > > > > I can’t think of a single time in the last 40 years that I’ve had anything positive to say about Donald Trump, but assuming this is accurate reporting I will defend his right to flip flop. He may be right in a way akin to the stopped clock in our living room, but he’s still right. > > I was going to say the same thing. He’s an idiot, but I’ll cut him a break on charges of inconsistency on this one. It’s the right flip to flop. Subsequent to the advice about the potential efficacy of mainlining Clorox, I’m removing any residual iota of credit to him on the flip flop. Totally stopped-clock accidental correctness. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flip-flop-much/852401.md?page=1)