"Character is less important than a commitment to the Constitution and its limitations on government."
I would submit that a politician of character would take that stance. Character is a pretty broad brush.
Your example isn't the best. Jimmy Carter proved over and over that he lacks character.
I can't know conclusively if a person has character. Or if they really are conservative. Or any number of things about the person running for office. But I can go by what they say, and not give them a second chance if they prove they are not trustworthy.
"Your example isn't the best. Jimmy Carter proved over and over that he lacks character."
Actually, I used Possum Man as an example specifically because Carter did make character a central issue in his campaign. He based a campaign of that which he both misrepresented and had little to none of.
In that sense, he was similar to Kerry and his war medals. Too bad for the Western World that there was no Swift Boat Vets group to torpedo Carter's campaign.