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Less passion, more principle

I’m sure Bobby’s a nice guy, but I want to register my objection to the notion that what qualifies one for the U.S. Presidency is passion. I know it’s an antiquated view, in a culture where voters are comfortable selecting presidents according to the same criteria they use to select American Idols, but if we’re all unhappy with the sorry state of things then perhaps we ought to start trading in some of our modern views for the antiquated ones.

I’d trade presidential passion, in other words, for rock-solid commitment to the U.S. Constitution as something other than a “living document” that magical affirms whatever it is that a majority of voters think their government ought to do for them.