Mention “flip flops” to anyone in political circles and two things will probably come to mind instantly: Mitt Romney and a mind-blowing ability to be strongly in favor of one position, before getting behind another, as though it has been your firmly-held belief all along. This strategy has been a favorite of politicians since the dinosaurs lined up to vote (sorry, creationists).
Newt Gingrich, however, has elevated the flip-flop to a finely-honed art form. The ability to hold one position, then the opposite; then if anyone questions you, to smack them down in their ignorance that, not only are the two views not mutually exclusive, but they were wrong to even question you and that whatever you did and whatever you said, you retained the moral high ground the entire time.
Benjy Sarlin explains…