In Defense of Flip-Flopping

Conor Clarke writes:

...it does not seem obvious to me that a politician who changes public positions has less "character" than one who avoids changing positions long after the evidence has turned against him merely to avoid the appearance of being a softie. One kind of politician panders to the public's appetite for particular policy positions. The other panders to the public's appetite for politicians who can avoid the appearance of pandering.