Verbosities

Patrick Ruffini, today (emphasis his):


Hugh Hewitt @ Townhall - "Flip-Flopping's Fine By Me" - Patrick Ruffini

Recently, I've spent a lot of time thinking whether the flip-flopping charges that abound in '08 race will eventually stick. The best answer I can come up with right now is "No."

[snip]

It's easy to turn a blind eye if someone's flip-flopping in my direction, but that's not it. Rather, it's that at some point, you've gotta dance with the ones that brung ya. Said another way, the positions Romney et al. are taking now, in the most important campaign of their lives, are the ones they're stuck with -- whether they like it or not. After his public conversion and being pilloried as a flip-flopper, do you seriously think that Romney can walk back his pro-life position without destroying himself?

[snip]

...(D)oes authenticity still matter? Yes, it does. But at some point, your basic positioning on issues has to matter too. And primary voters have a right to evaluate that.

We need to start thinking of this imperfect field not as a problem, but as an opportunity. Conservatives, these guys need you. They can't take a single vote for granted. You should be forcing them to take positions that are more to your liking, because they won't be able to live them down after running (and hopefully winning) on them.

Patrick Ruffini, then (September, 2004):


Power Line: Kerry fatigue

Patrick Ruffini, the Bush campaign's webmaster, passes this item along:

Appearing on ABC's Good Morning America today, John Kerry offered yet another explanation for his trademark line "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it": it was late at night, and he was tired:

"It was a very inarticulate way of saying something and I had one of those moments late in the evening when I was tired in the primaries and didn't say something clearly. But it reflects the truth of the position, which is, I thought, to have the wealthiest people in America share the burden of paying for that war. It was a protest. Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted."

Just one problem: Kerry made the statement at noon. Maybe his watch was set on Paris time.

Just so we're clear, it's okay for someone to have a sea change on a plank issue like reproductive rights, but GOD HELP YOU if your voting record on an appropriation isn't dead-on with your initial public opinion of that issue.

Or, all is forgiven under IOKIYAR.

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