In an interview on the Iran-Contra scandal, Reagan insisted he never traded arms for hostages. Well, he admitted, it did appear that arms were traded for hostages. Finally he returned to his original denial.

This was in one sitting.

The dignity of the presidency seemed enough to protect Reagan from critics, but candidates for the office have no such luxury.

The 1988 campaign left two men of the cloth, Jesse L. Jackson and Pat Robertson, particularly red-faced.

Jackson and Robertson both preached against the evils of sex before marriage. But when presented with evidence that their eldest children had been born within weeks of their marriages, both were forced to admit that they had participated in pre-marital sin.

But this year's campaign, perhaps more than any other year in recent memory, has produced an immense batch of flip-flops.

One of the most obvious, and perhaps decisive, is George Bush's now-famous breaking of his "No new taxes" pledge. During the 1988 campaign, the then-vice president repeated in nearly every campaign appearance.

In June of 1990, Bush announced that he, regrettably, was unable to fulfill his promise. Behind the scenes, of course, Bush swallowed the tax increase rather than cut popular programs.

While some voters felt betrayed, Peterson said Bush's decision to raise taxes was one of the "boldest and most courageous moments in his Presidency."

"There is a sense in which he should be applauded rather than ridiculed," Peterson said.

But to emphasize the error of his ways, Bush felt compelled to apologize for the tax increase at the 1992 Republican National Convention, telling the party faithful he had made a mistake and would repent with a tax cut if he were re-elected.

Bush is certainly not the only candidates to flip-flop this year, and many of the reversals had far deeper roots than a 1988 pledge. The ever-changing debate on abortion has caused many politicians to change their stances on the divisive issue.

Bush, prior to accepting the Republican vice presidential nomination in 1980, was decidedly prochoice. Now he has made opposition to abortion to a defining element of the Republican platform.

Clinton favored restrictions on abortions early in his tenure as Arkansas governor. Now he has enthusiastically endorsed the Freedom-of-Choice Act, a bill which would make it nearly impossible for the federal government to impose the restrictions he once favored.

Vice presidential candidate AL Gore '69, too, steadfastly opposed federal funding for abortions until ambitions for national office inspired him to change his ways.