(This column was published in the
April 17th, 2008 issue of the The Daily Utah Chronicle)
I used to think Robin Williams was one of the best actors Hollywood had to offer. Now I find him to be more obnoxious than a room full of 3-year-olds. I used to pretend to date women in high school. Now I write for a number of gay, political publications. I used to consider myself a highly religious person. Now I consider myself to be a secular humanist, with a side order of laziness. I used to think that parachute pants were cool. Now I wouldn't be caught dead wearing them, even if I pushed from a plane and wearing them was the only way to save my life.
Everyone changes his or her mind throughout life. We change our minds regarding culinary tastes, fashion and politics. Non-Christians become Christians, Republicans become Democrats and vegetarians vote for Dennis Kucinich.
Yesterday the celebrity diet of choice was the Atkins Diet. Today many celebrities are on an effective diet called drunkorexia. Yesterday everyone was taking glamour shots. Today we simply use Photoshop. Yesterday we loved Mariah Carey so much that we launched her to No. 1 on the Billboard music charts. Today we love Carey so much that we…launch her to No. 1 on the Billboard music charts (clearly some things never change, such as Stonehenge or the public's fascination with Carey).
Nevertheless, the evolution of people and their tastes, beliefs and experiences alters nearly all aspects of demographics and the human race. We don't fault anyone for having an opinion different from that which they had 10, five or even one year ago. Unless that person is a politician.
The majority of politicians are manipulative and calculating, an opinion with which few people would disagree. However, what is sometimes forgotten is the fact that some politicians are actual people with genuine, evolving opinions.
The average person who has altered his or her opinion on, for example, abortion over a span of 10 years, is simply considered to have altered that opinion on abortion over a span of 10 years. A politician who has altered his or her opinion on any given subject over a span of 10 years is assumed to be an unscrupulous, Machiavellian flip-flopper.
Never mind that the politician changes his or her opinion because his or her actual personal belief has changed-it's assumed he or she is simply doing it for political reasons.
For the record, I voted for John Kerry in 2004 and strongly disliked Mitt Romney in 2008. Although I believe that some of the accusations against both men, labeling them both as "flip-floppers," were justified, I also believe that not every accusation was grounded in truth.
After having served in the Vietnam War, isn't it possible that Kerry's opinions on the war would have evolved? Although Romney was pro-choice earlier in his political career, isn't it possible that his opinion would have evolved over the span of a decade? Many people-including myself-accused Romney of having changed his opinion for political reasons. Is this fair? Haven't I also changed my beliefs on a number of topics over the years?
Giving a speech on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, presidential candidate John McCain admitted to having made a mistake in 1983 when he voted in Congress against a federal holiday honoring King. Despite the two-and-a-half decades that have passed since McCain's vote and his apologies in a number of speeches to several different groups, some still hold his feet to the fire for his offensive, but dumb, decision.
Are we too cynical to believe that a person might have changed an opinion in a span of time longer than the time in which society has had the Internet-or Haley Joel Osment?
To play the part of devil's advocate, we must recognize that the timing and sincerity of any given politician plays a large role in believing the evolution of the politician's opinion. I give someone such as Romney the benefit of the doubt for altering his opinion on abortion over a span of 10 years. Conversely, I doubt his sincerity when this alteration in opinion occurs during a presidential election.
In the current presidential election, politicians want us to believe them, and we want to believe politicians. However, they must understand that our belief in their evolution of opinions depends completely on their timing and sincerity. We want to believe Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and JohnMcCain-provided their opinions are sincere and the timing isn't political.
The exception, of course, is if any one of them try to convince us that parachute pants are making a comeback. I won't believe that for a second.
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