Flipping is no flop

Focuses on the depiction of United States President Bill Clinton as a waffle in the comic strip 'Doonesbury.' Clinton's fickleness; Voters' preference for a politician who shares their opinion on an issue, despite repeatedly changing his or her mind.

By Lisa Degliantoni, published on May 01, 1996

POLITICS

Thanks to his legandary indecisiveness, Bill Clinton has been depicted as waffle in the comic strip "Doonesbury." But the indignity of being portrayed as a breakfast food aside, Clinton may find that his fickle ways do not hurt his electability.

According to researchers at North Dakota State University, voters prefer a politician who shares their opinion on an issue--even if the candidate has repeatedly changed his or her mind--over one who has consistently maintained an opposing view. As long as the candidate ended on a stance that appealed to voters, it didn't matter how many times he or she flip-flopped, report Kevin McCaul, Ph.D., and colleagues in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 68, No. 2).

The lesson for the presidential campaign? If Clinton is waffling in a direction appealing to voters, Republicans would do best to ignore the consistency issue.

PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Doonesbury