Let's give the devil his due: he's tireless. He has an iron constitution. . He wasn't just a politician; he was a desperate man, and from his desperation he drew the power to hypnotize vast crowds. 1/

He was never anything less than a finisher, which is what made him dangerous, especially down the stretch in an election. Even today, he couldn't do anything but try to make the sale, even to people who supposedly loved him. 2/

Even today, he couldn't think of anything to say to them but the classic kiss-off of a bitter man: "Have a good life." 3/

I give the devil his due in order to give the other character in this historic drama his due -- the character whose virtues his opponent could never understand. 4/

He is, after all, an old man. He did, after all, have a speech impediment. He failed, after all , in two previous runs for the presidency, the first time for ignominious reasons. 5/