Sentence:  The dilemma was how to propose a big tax cut and still look credible. Dole knew that the Democrats would mock him for a <WSD>deathbed conversion</WSD>. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An abrupt, last-minute change in one's professed beliefs, principles, or point of view in order to escape a serious threat or to increase one's chances of success.