ADADSo what can we learn from Ryan’s demise, and that of the others who have departed? It’s remarkable how many candidates can’t come up with a simple answer to this question: “Why are you running for president?” Look, for instance, at the different fortunes of Sens. It’s not a guarantee of success — Ryan wanted to help forgotten Americans, while Inslee, the governor of Washington, wanted to address climate change, both pretty simple ideas — but without it, you can’t win. As much as the presidential campaign has opened up to anyone with some extra time and a dream, it’s still difficult to get taken seriously as a presidential candidate if you haven’t held one of a small number of jobs. Voters care about issues and ideology but, more than anything else, they wind up choosing the person they find most compelling.

Source: Washington Post October 24, 2019 19:28 UTC