The Quiet Man

To rage or not to rage? That is the question facing Democratic voters.

As he invariably does when outlining his discontent with the status quo, the Illinois senator sounds firm. He sounds sincere. What he doesn't sound is angry.

That is either the great strength or the great weakness of his campaign. American politics is chronically awash in free-floating bile, some of it genuine and some of it manufactured. So voters may prefer a candidate who can summon up visible outrage at the slightest provocation, of which this race offers many alternatives.

If the venting of spleen is what Iowans want, an Obama event is not the place to find it. His gift-one of them, anyway is to be able to disparage his foes in unequivocal terms without sounding strident or hostile.

Therein lies the problem with primary voters-they want hostile while the rest of us want ideas and solutions. It would be nice to see a candidate from either side who could win them over with reason instead of rage.