Political Catchphrases Hurt America And Our National Dialogue

I never want to hear the term “flip-flopper” again…not from Republicans, not from Democrats, and most certainly not from the Media.

It’s amazing how a politically-spun catchphrase such as flip-flopper can get co-opted by the media and the Politicoratti; given so much of a negative connotation that it can turn an educated, confident person into a long-winded, stammering fool—to the point where few politicians will openly admit to a change of position without justifications rooted in self-righteous and unnecessary half-truths.

There is no doubt that anyone who goes back and forth on an issue too readily is a probable cause for concern; however, the term is misused as a weapon against anyone who has the temerity to verbalize a change of opinion—and frankly, who hasn’t felt one way about something, and then upon learning more, refined their opinion on it?

It’s not just the use of the term flip-floppers that I never want to hear…it’s all the catchphrases which invariably reduce our national debate to a never-ending back-and-forth; appealing to the basest levels of our understanding and used as devices in absence of thoughtful counterpoints.

Politicians and the Media rely on focus group-tested chew-and-spew slogans and buzz-words, which are crafted to be sufficiently catchy and garner enough ratings to guarantee at least as many News-cycles necessary to cement the spin on our public consciousness.

With the kind of exposure an effective catchphrase can get (think: shock and awe, cut and run, stay the course, war on terror), it’s not unexpected that so many people would confuse exposure for merit, popularity for truth. And if you are reluctant believe it, just perform a search on the internet to find out how many Americans still believe that the moon is (at least partially) made of cheese, and see how far this lack of common-sense can penetrate our beliefs if we’ve heard something often enough: it’s disturbing.

It is representative of a symptom which contributes to a greater disease, one that erodes the quality of our information and relies on the general absence of critical thinking. It is as if we have lost our ability to effectively evaluate and discuss issues with open minds. We spend so much time defending pre-conceived beliefs, even on the things we could certainly afford to learn more about, that we don’t hear what the other side has to say, often leaping into conversations with minds so firmly decided, that it is more of a battle of will, than a merited exchange of differing viewpoints.

It’s a fundamental breakdown in communication—in how we interact, evolve, and change. If we are unable to admit that the original position we took was based on an incomplete picture, even in the overwhelming presence of contrasting information, then we can never take measures to correct our path. Without an effective process of “viewing and reviewing” information and allowing reason to influence emotion, we cannot grow—individually or as a group.

I am not ashamed to admit that I am a proud flip-flopper: I have reconsidered many topics (such as affirmative action, illegal immigration, and the merits of polyester) and have better defined my position on these and other issues and, and in some cases, have come to feel that I was misguided in how I addressed them earlier in my life.

I am not always right and nor do I expect others to always be. The bottom line is that we are all human. That growth and change of opinion are part of the human condition and our ability to admit to being wrong and moving on, despite our initial differences, is part of what has defined our success as a species. At some point, we need to remember that admitting to an error doesn’t make us weak, it makes us human; that moving on gives us the opportunity to focus on what’s real, versus on what’s ego.

There is no more destructive force in human affairs—not greed, nor hatred—than the desire to have been right. – Mark Kleiman