Flip-Flopper Versus Flop

It’s clear that Bush intends to portray Kerry as a flip-flopping politician. Given Kerry’s long Senate voting record the attacks are likely to take their toll. And, frankly, Kerry is not helped by his nuanced positions on many issues. His answers to seemingly simple questions often have so many provisos and caveats that he seems like he’s flip-flopping while he's answering.

What's an accused Flip-Flopper to do?

Kerry can argue that he adjusts his positions to account for changing situations and new information. Bush, it will be noted, is almost congenitally incapable of assimilating new information and making mid-course corrections. As such he's not likely to be accused of flip-flopping. Bush-o-philes tout this as an important evidence of Bush's "strong leadership."

Ahh, the power of denial.

The problem with the "strong leadership" school of thought is that it ignores reality. The only thing strong about Bush is his rhetoric. There is a vast disparity between what Bush says and what he does. And on those occasions when Bush's actions do match his words his results don't match his promises.

Thus, while Bush can't be counted as a flip-flopper, he must be counted as something worse: A Flop.

Terrorist Rhetoric: We will catch Osama dead or alive.
Reality: Capturing America’s real enemies is hard work. Better to capture some headlines by toppling Saddam.

Afghanistan Rhetoric: We are making Afghanistan safer.
Reality: Outside of Kabul security is a major issue not being adequately addressed with America’s scaled-down presence there.

Iraq Rhetoric: "We will stay until the job is done."
Reality: We will pull out as soon as we can.

Iraq Rhetoric: Our efforts in Iraq have made America more secure.
Reality: Our efforts in Iraq have the very real potential of fomenting an Iraqi civil war and establishing a long-term breeding ground for anti-American terrorist activities.

Campaign 2000 Rhetoric: "I'm not so sure the role of the United States is to go around the world and say, 'This is the way it's got to be.'"
Reality: In every international action taken since January, 2001 Bush has shown himself unwilling or incapable of employing diplomacy to achieve results.

Campaign 2000 Rhetoric: My "view of the military is for our military to be properly prepared to fight and win war and, therefore, prevent war from happening in the first place."
Reality: By bolding commiting our military to unnecessary escapades Bush has stretched our military so thinly that they are not adequately prepared should actual threat arise.

Campaign 2000 Rhetoric: "If we are an arrogant nation, they will resent us; but if we’re a humble nation, but strong, they’ll welcome us."
Reality: They resent us.

Campaign 2000 Rhetoric: "I refuse to play the politics of putting people into groups and pitting one group against another."
Reality: Unless it helps me politically.

Campaign 2000 Rhetoric: I’m a uniter not a divider.
Reality: I only know how to unite my right-wing base.

June 2002 economic Rhetoric: "The tax cut will help create 800,000 jobs by the end of 2002."
Reality: From June to December 2002 185,000 jobs were lost.

More June 2002 economic Rhetoric: "We will return to a budget surplus by 2005...[the president] will enforce fiscal discipline."
Reality: Bush’s own 2005 Budget proposes a federal budget deficit of $521 billion

Finding Traitors Rhetoric: "I want to know the truth" about violators of federal espionage law working in my White House.
Reality: I will not take any action to find, punish or remove the wrong-doers.

Campaign 2000 Rhetoric: I believe in "personal responsibility" and "accountability"
Campaign 2004 Rhetoric: I'm not responsible for the last 3 years.

Obviously, the extent to which Bush's actions depart from his rhetoric varies. But, as this small sampling shows, Bush is a Flop when judged on his actions rather than his words. Kerry can dodge the flip-flop label merely by asking people to hold President George Bush to the standards of accountability that candidate George Bush spoke of in 2000. Even by the most charitable reading of his record it's clear that Bush is not even good enough to be a flip-flopper. He's just a Flop.


UPDATE: After writing the post above I discoved that Slate's Bill Saletan tackled the same topic earlier this evening. Saletan focuses on what I called Bush's congenital incapacity to assimilate new information and make mid-course corrections. While I firmly disagree with Saletan's assertion that Bush is not a liar, I do think he's right that the crux of the electoral argument needs to be that Bush is not up to the job of leading in a changing world.

Thanks to TPM for the Saletan link. I doubt I would have found it otherwise.

UPDATE: Matthew Yglesias points out a couple of Bush's unambiguous flip-flops. The comments to his post add quite a few more.