Ramesh Ponnuru: Herschel Walker bid will show if voters care about character

kAm%96 C246 36EH66? s6>@4C2E:4 :?4F>36?E #2A926= (2C?@4< 2?5 #6AF3=:42? 492==6?86C w6CD496= (2=<6C :? v6@C8:2 >2J 56E6C>:?6 H9:49 A2CEJ 4@?EC@=D E96 &]$] $6?2E6] xE H:== 2=D@ D9@H 9@H >F49 G@E6CD 42C6 E96D6 52JD 23@FE 492C24E6C] |J 8F6DDi >@C6 E92? E96 4J?:4D D2J]k^Am

kAmxE’D 46CE2:?=J ECF6 E92E[ 2D C646?E=J 2D `_ J62CD 28@[ p>6C:42 H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 925 2 5632E6 23@FE H96E96C 2 42?5:52E6 7@C $6?2E6 4@F=5 DFCG:G6 4C65:3=6 2==682E:@?D @7 A2J:?8 7@C 2 8:C=7C:6?5’D 23@CE:@? 2?5 E96? =J:?8 23@FE :E[ @C E96 5:D4=@DFC6 @7 E96 6I:DE6?46 @7 EH@ AC6G:@FD=J F?24<?@H=65865 49:=5C6?[ @C E96 42?5:52E6’D @H? 25>:DD:@? @7 A2DE 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46] w:D A@==:?8 H@F=5 92G6 A=F>>6E65] w:D A2CEJ H@F=5 92G6 4@?4=F565 E92E 96 925 ?@ 492?46 @7 H:??:?8 2?5 E92E 4@?E:?F65 DFAA@CE 7@C 9:> H@F=5 3C:?8 :E 5:D4C65:E]k^Am

kAmqFE E96 23@CE:@? 244FD2E:@?[ H9:49 (2=<6C 56?:6D[ 5@6D ?@E D66> E@ 92G6 4@DE 9:> >2?J A@:?ED :? A@==D[ 6G6? 2D 96 4@?E:?F6D E@ 25G@42E6 2 32? @? 23@CE:@?] “!@=:E:4D[ :E D66>D[ :D E@@ :>A@CE2?E E96D6 52JD 7@C BF6DE:@?D @7 492C24E6C E@ >2EE6C[” HC:E6D (2D9:?8E@? !@DE 4@=F>?:DE w6?CJ ~=D6?] s@?2=5 %CF>A 8@E 6=64E65 AC6D:56?E :? a_`e[ 27E6C 2==[ 6G6? 27E6C E96 “p446DD w@==JH@@5” E2A6]k^Am

kAm'@E6CD 2C6 9@=5:?8 A@=:E:4:2?D E@ =@H6C DE2?52C5D E92? E96J @?46 5:5] %CF>A 92D 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E96 EC6?5[ 2D 5:5 q:== r=:?E@? 367@C6 9:>] ~?6 C6DF=E :D E92E A@=:E:4:2?D DF49 2D #6A] $4@EE s6Dy2C=2:D[ #\%6??][ C6>2:? :? @77:46 27E6C 2 D6C:6D @7 D42?52=D E92E H@F=5 92G6 >256 E96 q@C8:2D 3=FD9]k^Am

kAm|:D4@?5F4E 42?[ 9@H6G6C[ DE:== 3C:?8 A@=:E:4:2?D 5@H?] x? a_`f[ E96 #6AF3=:42? 42?5:52E6 7@C $6?2E6 7C@> p=232>2[ #@J |@@C6[ =@DE :? E92E 566A\C65 DE2E6 27E6C 244FD2E:@?D @7 D6IF2= 2DD2F=E[ :?4=F5:?8 2DD2F=ED @7 >:?@CD] tG6? :? C646?E J62CD[ >2?J @77:469@=56CD[ :?4=F5:?8 >6>36CD @7 r@?8C6DD DF49 2D #6AD] z2E:6 w:== 2?5 y@6 q2CE@?[ 92G6 564:565 ?@E E@ 7246 G@E6CD 27E6C D42?52=D]k^Am

kAm!6C92AD E96 23@CE:@? DE@CJ :D?’E 9FCE:?8 (2=<6C :? E96 A@==D 3642FD6 G@E6CD 925 2 =@H 2DD6DD>6?E @7 9:> 367@C692?5] %96 D2>6 A@== E92E 7@F?5 :E 925 ?@E 492?865 9:D DE2?5:?8 :? E96 C246 D9@H65 9:> CF??:?8 7:G6 A@:?ED 369:?5 qC:2? z6>A[ E96 #6AF3=:42? 8@G6C?@C H9@ :D D66<:?8 C66=64E:@? :? E96 DE2E6] (2=<6C :D CF??:?8 D6G6? A@:?ED 369:?5 z6>A 2>@?8 #6AF3=:42?D 2?5 6:89E A@:?ED 369:?5 2>@?8 :?56A6?56?ED] |@DE G@E6CD 4@?D:56C 9:> 5:D9@?6DE]k^Am

kAm!F?5:ED 2?5 A@=:E:42= DEC2E68:DED >2J 92G6 =62C?65 E96 HC@?8 =6DD@? 7C@> a_`e] %CF>A H2D CF??:?8 282:?DE 2 G6CJ F?A@AF=2C s6>@4C2E:4 ?@>:?66[ w:==2CJ r=:?E@?[ @?6 H9@ 925 366? 2 7:8FC6 @7 4@?EC@G6CDJ 7@C 564256D] (2=<6C 5@6D ?@E 92G6 2 D:>:=2C=J 96=A7F= 4:C4F>DE2?46i w:D @AA@?6?E[ (2C?@4<[ DE:== 92D >@C6 G@E6CD H9@ G:6H 9:> 72G@C23=J E92? F?72G@C23=J] W%92E’D 6G6? E9@F89 9:D 6I\H:76 4=2:>D E92E 96 C2? @G6C 96C 7@@E H:E9 2 42C]Xk^Am

kAmxE >2J 2=D@ >2<6 2 5:776C6?46 E92E %CF>A H2D CF??:?8 7@C AC6D:56?E H9:=6 (2=<6C :D CF??:?8 7@C $6?2E6] *@F >:89E E9:?< E92E 2 >:?:>F> =6G6= @7 AC@3:EJ :D >@C6 :>A@CE2?E :? AC6D:56?ED E92? :? D6?2E@CD] !C6D:56?ED 92G6 G2DE=J >@C6 A@H6C 2?5 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E92? D6?2E@CD] p D6?2E@C 42? ?6:E96C DE2CE 2 H2C ?@C 6?5 @?6] |@56C? AC6D:56?ED 42? 2?5 5@]k^Am

kAmqFE :? 2 A@=:E:42= 6C2 567:?65 3J ?682E:G6 A2CE:D2?D9:A — :? H9:49 A6@A=6 2C6 >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 92E6 E96 A2CEJ E96J @AA@D6 E92? E@ =@G6 E96 @?6 E96J DFAA@CE — E96 =@8:4 7=:AD] {6EE:?8 E96 @E96C D:56 42AEFC6 E96 AC6D:56?4J :D 2 >@C6 56G2DE2E:?8 =@DD E92? =6EE:?8 :E E2<6 @?6 $6?2E6 D62E AC64:D6=J 3642FD6 E96 AC6D:56?4J >2EE6CD >@C6] x7 J@F’C6 2 G@E6C H9@ =62?D DEC@?8=J E@H2C5 @?6 A2CEJ @C E96 @E96C[ E96 4@DE @7 :?D:DE:?8 @? 2 >@C2= E6DE 7@C @77:46 :D E96C67@C6 9:896DE H96? :E 4@>6D E@ E96 (9:E6 w@FD6]k^Am

kAm|J E96@CJ :D E92E >@C2= AC:?4:A=6D 2C6 2 <:?5 @7 =FIFCJ 7@C G@E6CD[ @?6 E96J :?5F=86 >@C6 :? =@H6C\DE2<6D C246D] x7 E92E’D C:89E[ E96 A6CG6CD6 C6DF=E :D E92E G@E6CD 92G6 2 9:896C DE2?52C5 7@C 492C24E6C 7@C D6?2E@CD E92? 7@C AC6D:56?ED] &?=6DD E96C6’D 2 3:8 #6AF3=:42? H2G6 E9:D J62C[ :E >2J DE:== 36 E@@ 9:89 7@C (2=<6C]k^Am