Its more complicated than that. They must not look like they are merely adapting to change,like the vicar of Bray, because people don’t like vicars of Bray...there’s no point in voting for representatives who ditch their principles on day one.
So on the meta level,they have to strike a dynamic balance between seeming steadfast , and leaking the fact that they are adapting.
I don’t think “flailing” was particularly meant to stand in specifically for changing political position. I think it was just meant to indicate “behaving in ways that seem like they ought to be bad politics”.
(Considering the three examples specifically mentioned in the post: I think Pelosi is criticized more for being intransigent than for being inconsistent. Boris Johnson has changed his opinions almost as often as his women, and I don’t think anyone would bet heavily on his having much in the way of principles, but since entering politics he’s actually been fairly consistent. Khamenei seems to me to have been pretty consistent, but I don’t know much about Iranian politics. So these don’t seem like the examples one would choose if “flailing” meant making a lot of U-turns.)
GJM’s interpretation is my intended meaning. Specifically I meant Pelosi’s intransigence, Boris’s strategic position changes and fake awkwardness. For khameini I was referencing the nuclear bullshit which is destroying Iran’s economy and obviously a bad deal, but good for his career. As evidence it’s a bad deal, observe that only 1 other country trolls the big five with nukes.
But all of this allowed Nancy to stay speaker for years, Boris to go from mayor of London to PM and khameini to rule for 30 years
Its more complicated than that. They must not look like they are merely adapting to change,like the vicar of Bray, because people don’t like vicars of Bray...there’s no point in voting for representatives who ditch their principles on day one.
So on the meta level,they have to strike a dynamic balance between seeming steadfast , and leaking the fact that they are adapting.
I don’t think “flailing” was particularly meant to stand in specifically for changing political position. I think it was just meant to indicate “behaving in ways that seem like they ought to be bad politics”.
(Considering the three examples specifically mentioned in the post: I think Pelosi is criticized more for being intransigent than for being inconsistent. Boris Johnson has changed his opinions almost as often as his women, and I don’t think anyone would bet heavily on his having much in the way of principles, but since entering politics he’s actually been fairly consistent. Khamenei seems to me to have been pretty consistent, but I don’t know much about Iranian politics. So these don’t seem like the examples one would choose if “flailing” meant making a lot of U-turns.)
GJM’s interpretation is my intended meaning. Specifically I meant Pelosi’s intransigence, Boris’s strategic position changes and fake awkwardness. For khameini I was referencing the nuclear bullshit which is destroying Iran’s economy and obviously a bad deal, but good for his career. As evidence it’s a bad deal, observe that only 1 other country trolls the big five with nukes. But all of this allowed Nancy to stay speaker for years, Boris to go from mayor of London to PM and khameini to rule for 30 years