The press is portraying Mitt Romney as an opportunistic flip-flopper for his newly-minted anti-abortion views, and pundits wonder if such crass recalibration will end his political career. But The L.A. Times‘ Janet Hook notes that Romney is in fact part of a political tradition. Other abortion switchers rewarded for their newfound convictions include Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Al Gore, and Dick Gephardt. Moral of the story? Reporting the present requires knowing the past. Hook did what every journalist should do before he or she declares some development a new twist, or, worse, a “trend” — she checked the archives.