Triangulation
From RationalWiki
Triangulation is a process in politics whereby a candidate tries to juggle their position(s) on issues so as to be located between all perspectives on it.
This would describe a "moderate" position, except in this case the candidate has cobbled it together from focus groups and other means of "testing the water," rather than coming to think their position is logical and valid.
It can involve a lot of what is now called "flip-flopping" on issues, as a candidate travels down the road of their career, and even in the course of a single election.[1]
[edit] See also
- Bill Clinton – a past master of triangulation
- Hillary Clinton – learned it from Bill in pillow talk sessions
- Mitt Romney – has zigged and zagged so many times[2] it makes
- John Kerry not look like a flip-flopper at all!
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Often a candidate must run to the extreme fringe that turns out for party caucuses or primaries, and then head back towards the "center" for the general election.
- ↑ It's a tortuous path from Utah to governing Massachusetts to running in the crazy right wing religious Republican party primaries!