In the February 18, 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report, Editor-in-Chief Mortimer B. Zuckerman offers a commentary on the leading candidates of the moment. In his essay, written before yesterday's Potomac primaries, Mr. Zuckerman makes the case for the necessity of having a greater number of super delegates because they have more knowledge of two particular issues: the economy, the threat of Islamic terrorism. In Mr. Zuckerman's opinion, superdelegates chosen from the ranks of governors and members of Congress would be better suited to select candidates not as flawed as the ones we have right now (emphases mine): America faces a leadership crisis. In a poll by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, no fewer than 79 percent of respondents think that this vacuum means that, unless we get better leaders, we are in danger of declining as a nation. Even more—88 percent—think the media are part of the problem, focusing on little gotcha stories and not enough on either character and values or substantive policies. In truth, we require a combination of vision and executive competence of the highest level. We don't want any more Katrinas, falling bridges, airport chaos, and governmental paralysis. We do want an equitable healthcare system, sensible funding of entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid) that consume more than 40 percent of the federal budget today and 70 percent by 2030—an intolerable burden to pass on to our children. This is why the country wants change and a clean break with the past.Also included in Mr. Zuckerman's essay is the following assessment of the leading candidates:...
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