Posted on 07/23/2008 7:55:48 AM PDT by SmithL
When Jerry Brown was serving his first stint as governor 30 years ago – but perhaps not his last – he gained a well-deserved reputation for changing positions as easily as most folks change their socks.
The most striking manifestation of Brownian motion was when he denounced Proposition 13, the landmark property tax measure, as "a ripoff" before the 1978 election and then declared himself to be a "born-again tax cutter" afterward and slashed state taxes.
Brown shrugged off criticism of his political pirouettes, once saying, "Nothing in life is so rigid that there aren't developments. That's true in politics. That's true in theology. That's true in personal relations. And for those small minds that slavishly adhere to foolish consistency, their irrelevance is their best reward."
Nevertheless, as his second term neared its close, he flip-flopped one last time and paid the ultimate political price – voter rejection. Brown had refused to order spraying when the state was infested with Mediterranean fruit flies, saying, "I'm getting a bit bugged by this bug," but then, faced with pressure from farmers and the Legislature, he flipped 180 degrees and ordered spraying.
A year later, voters soundly rejected Brown's bid for a U.S. Senate seat and he left office with a final – and quite accurate – observation, to wit: "I think people got tired of my voice. They got tired of seeing me on television … and frankly, I got a little tired of it."
Given that history, there's more than a little irony in a recent press release from Brown, now the state attorney general and a likely candidate for governor in 2010, announcing he had sued an importer for not treating produce from India to prevent an Oriental fruit fly infestation.
The politician who should be paying attention...
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
. . . he's traveling the same path that made his predecessor a laughingstock – demonstrating by word and deed that he has few, if any, bedrock beliefs and is willing to shift positions instantaneously,I'm still waiting for "blowing up boxes in Sacramento."
Governor Brown came out the next day and declared that the people had spoken and that he was going to enforce the law. In some political theater, Gov. Brown called himself a "born-again tax-cutter". So what!!
Why is this called a flip-flop? The current DC City Council just voted to repudiate their loss before the Supreme Court that yes the Bill of Rights applies to the DC City Council. So, instead of "flip-flopping" and respecting the US Constitution, the DC City Council voted unanimously to re-write their gun ban to stand by their "principles" and keep their gun ban.
At least, they won't be called "flip-floppers".
He flips and flops like a fish out of water. I wish I had a graphic for that one.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
“Flip Flop” has become overused if you ask me. Or maybe I’m just tired of hearing it.
“I think people got tired of my voice. They got tired of seeing me on television … and frankly, I got a little tired of it.”
You bet Brownie boy! You sucked big time!....
Agreed. And it's very likely he'll be the next California Governor. Cynical politicians know how short voters' memories are.
Because the source is the Sacremento Bee?
Thus, we have the Beltway obsession with flip-flops and the overuse of flip-flop accusations. The charge stings, when use appropriately. I just object to shoving everything into that shoebox.
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