bowles

I saw Erskine Bowles at an evening rally last night at UNC. Quick observation: he's much better at this than two years ago. Namely, he presents himself as a bit more natural of a public speaker while maintaining a certain discomfort with politics that gives him an assured un-sliminess.
He seeks a centrist route (one spectator asked him if he is proud to be a Democrat) that echoes his dad and Terry Sanford, and, of course, Clinton. He does well to stress the ability to bring partisans together, and makes his policy ideas (which are not novel) sound like unassailable common sense.
I like Erskine Bowles. I think he really wants to do this (2 years ago, one could doubt). Hopefully, he'll have the opportunity.