John McBOMB McCain Flip-Flops Like A Drunk Old Sailor

EJ_Dionne: Who Will Win (or Lose) the Flip-Flopping Contest?

…. So it’s now clear that since Republicans will have trouble winning this election on issues, especially with the country in a mood to punish the G.O.P., John McCain’s allies hope to win this by casting Barack Obama as — I quote Michael Shear’s article in today’s Post — “an opportunistic and self-obsessed politician who will do and say anything to get elected.”

Conservative commentators are picking up this cry.

On Friday, Charles Krauthammer’s column was headlined: “The Ever-Malleable Mr. Obama” He cited Obama decision to get out of the public financing system for his campaign after he said he’s stay in; his decision to support elements of the FISA bill that he once opposed; and his variations on NAFTA.

Bob Novak weighed in on Monday with a column headlined: “Obama’s Dodge on Handguns.” But John McCain has been no slouch on changing positions.

…MORE: McCain’s flourishing flip-flop list

Newsweek’s Evan Thomas has a piece on the flip-flopping sweepstakes that looks at both candidates. My hunch is that this issue won’t work as well for the Republicans this year as it did against John Kerry in 2004 (and Kerry, by the way, was far more consistent on issues than he got credit for).

But the fight is clearly on. So: Who is the bigger flip-flopper between these two candidates? Will the G.O.P. make this charge work? Or will the Obama folks successfully turn the issue around against McCain? …[MORE >>]

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