History shows that while ideas matter, personality trumps all. In the mass-communication era, voters flock to leaders who groove with the nation’s zeitgeist. Think of recent two-termers Ronald Reagan (who heralded “Morning in America”) and Bill Clinton (who felt our pain)…

The lesson here for the GOP is that, while debating issues within the party is important, finding an appealing leader is critical.

The person who may play that role for the GOP may not have appeared yet on the national scene. In fact, it could even be someone toiling in a state legislature somewhere.