Character is a combination of traits that etch the outlines of a life, governing moral choices and infusing personal and professional conduct. It’s an elusive thing — easily cloaked or submerged by the theatrics of a presidential campaign — but unexpected moments can sometimes reveal the fibers from which it is woven. Last week, Mitt […]

The bands played, the confetti flew and the pundits pronounced on Bill Clinton’s folksy wonkiness, Jennifer Granholm’s YouTube-ready theatrics and President Obama’s “workmanlike” acceptance speech. I’m consumed, however, by the less-expected star turns by understudies at last week’s Democratic National Convention. I was inspired anew by Tammy Duckworth, the Iraqi vet who lost both legs […]

The Republican Party is facing extinction, doomed by demographics to an ever-smaller slice of the electorate. It is increasingly a faction of aging whites, particularly those who tend to discomfort with racial diversity. GOP leaders ought to be about the business of trying to expand their appeal beyond Joe the Plumber and Agnes the Retired […]