[ontos-on]

Dole had a sharp wit as witnessed by this example. But he is inherently weak [I know he was wounded with the mountain division in Italy] in respect to breaking from the establishment. He was not a leader in that sense. He is essentially conventional and go with the flow, even when it appears he is doing somehthing novel. Any man who would do those Viagra commercials has a misplaced sense of what should be said and what should not.

"ED, indeed" He could do those commercials because he knew that the slick and smart commentators would approve his debasing spectacle. Approval is his master. His appearance with Imus over and over again, as the loser Republican: amusing yet losing . .....and not convincing, is a good image for his totality. He wanted to be liked too much. That is why he did not try to lead or convince people of that which he suspected was unpopular. [That is why he never really could or would risk being unpopular by truly characterizing Clinton in that campaign.] I think that was his character flaw. But maybe,I have just defined 90 % or more of all politicians.

[mrustow]

You're right, I know. When he ran for president in 1996, he wouldn't even criticize affirmative action. Although I respected Dole for having served his country in an age when most politicians of both parties are draft-dodgers, but I still had to hold my nose when I voted for him. The "senator from Archer Daniels Midland" was and is typical of everything wrong with the GOP. You know, the folks who've gotten billions in ethanol subsidies. Dole's GOP is pro-big business without being pro-freedom.