Have politicians completely given up even pretending they have core personal beliefs? While it's reasonable to believe that over the course of a long career new information and new experiences may necessitate an occasional ideological adjustment; the wholesale changes on where some perpetual candidates stand from campaign to campaign has made the term flip--flopper a virtual given and woefully inadequate.

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A few years ago it was a wave of hope and change that made moderate seem like the way to go for many Republicans. Now a strong trend among the electorate toward conservatism and increased involvement by those who always were conservative has once-moderate Republicans desperate to redefine themselves in time for state primaries, the general election in November and beyond.

Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), facing a primary challenge from former Congressman and conservative radio host J.D. Hayworth, supported comprehensive immigration reform with the late Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy just four years ago. Now he is praising a tough Arizona anti-immigration bill that will let police arrest anyone on "reasonable suspicion" that they are an illegal immigrant. Immigration reform advocates believe the new law would legalize racial profiling and are shocked by Senator McCain's turnabout on the issue. "He risked his political career for immigration reform, and now he is compromising his principles to fight for his political life," said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice and a longtime reform advocate. (source) Have Mr. McCain's opinions on the issue really changed that much that fast or is he merely making a political course correction to get re-elected after which he'll jump back on the reform bandwagon?

Then there's Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R) who is facing an even stronger challenge in his state's GOP primary race for US Senate. His challenger, conservative and Tea Party favorite Marco Rubio holds a virtually insurmountable 23 point lead over Governor Crist and if one thinks the moderate Crist would accept inevitable defeat and throw his support behind his party's chosen candidate, one would probably be wrong. After denying it repeatedly, Governor Crist has admitted he is considering a vote-splitting run as an Independent, abandoning the party and the platform he has long supported for a chance to grab more personal power for himself. Never mind that a three way race would invite the possibility of Democratic US Representative Kendrick Meek winning in November. (source)

As we look beyond the mid-term elections to the 2012 presidential race, there are more political chameleons on the horizon. Will Mitt Romney actually run against Obamacare when many believe the model for the unpopular health care reform legislation was Massachusetts' own Romneycare? Will George Pataki, another former governor this one from New York, ride his Revere American organization recently created to repeal Obamacare all the way to a 2012 White House victory despite his long held reputation for being a moderate, socially liberal Republican?

Of course this is not just a problem for the GOP. Democratic candidates, especially those who supported unpopular Obama policies, will be facing a fierce anti-incumbent storm in the coming months. Those Congressional Blue Dogs from conservative districts will have to work long and hard to convince their constituents that they can still represent their interests in Washington.

Whether they are running from past positions on issues, their political party or their own records in office; these candidates and potential candidates may soon be asking voters that age old question: who are you going to believe, me or your own lying eyes? And we'll have to determine which, if any, of their ideological adjustments are sincere.