Summary of "Multiple Choice Romney"

            In the opinionative article “Multiple Choice Romney,” Roger Cohen asserts that flip-flopping is a 20^th century issue.  Several politicians begin on one side of an issue, but as the journey of the campaign undergoes; they begin to shift sides of the issue.  Many people neglect this fallacy and fail to hold the politician accountable.  People rely on negative flaws about the opposing party.  Cohen supports his claim by providing various examples and statistics from past world leaders.  For example, George H. W. Bush said “Read my lips: no new taxes.”  He said these famous words at the 1988 Republican Convention after accepting the nomination.  Unfortunately Bush flip- flops and he raises taxes to reduce the deficit.  Consistency is not the core element but that everything is situational.  Roger Cohen states, “What matters is to be quick on your feet, not to walk in a straight line.”  Because of today’s society, politicians are under 24/7 watch and they cannot be expected to avoid inconsistency.  The author’s purpose was to capture the audience and make them aware of the current 20^th century issues of presidential campaigns.  In the current presidential campaign, Romney is an example of a flip- flopper.  In his primary debates he states, “We’re going to cut taxes on everyone across the country by 20 percent, including the top 1 percent.”  Romney switches his views during his debate: he states, “But I’m not going to reduce the share of taxes paid by high income people.”  Romney’s opposing audience states numerous attacking lines such as his wealth.  They say he does not care for the poor and his view of removing entitlements.  The audience fails at revealing the significant issue of a flip-flopper.  The author sent another valuable message towards President Obama.  Cohen states, “Persistence trumps performance.”  Romney has currently gained a 3.6% gain in the polls.  President Obama needs to step up his game in order to triumph in the end.