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No matter what name we give it or how we judge it, a candidate's character is central to political reporting because it is central to a citizen's decision in voting.

Voters like to fall in love with presidential candidates, at least a little bit.

What is obnoxious about the motives of politicians - whatever those motives may be - is that politicians must announce their motives as visionary and grand.

Any politician in a democracy has to be mindful of public opinion.

The most successful politicians are the ones who embrace their best traits while turning their liabilities into loveable attributes. And yet, many a candidate tries to run as something they aren't simply because the strategy dictates it.

Character is destiny, and politicians usually get the scandals they deserve, with a sense of inevitability about them.

We tend to think of politicians as time-servers and slackers. But on those committees they usually have an interest in the subject. And they're quite clever. I've seen them pick people apart.

Candidates are making lasting impressions on voters, not just primary voters, in how they campaign.

Generally speaking, politicians are an odd bunch. They seem to have very thick skins and genuinely don't care what people think. And charm is a very important part of the politician's armoury. I try to resist that kind of charm.

I think that Gov. Huckabee is one of us. I know that a lot of the other candidates try to talk like evangelicals, but he's actually one of us. He believes like we do on all the issues, which energizes me as a voter.