The Matthews Maxim

Chris Matthews made a point on his Sunday morning show this week that isn't entirely original, but is interesting. His theory: We elect presidents merely to fill a vacuum left by the last President.

That's it. No grand campaign strategy. No deep policy differences. Just change ... If one guy is a wonk, the next guy will be folksy. If one guy is too slick, the next guy will be humdrum.

Like many theories, I think there's an element of truth to it. But it's just one of many factors involved in a highly complex process of electing a president. Still, Matthews' argument has some merit.

In high school, I was madly in love with this girl named Rachael. Predictably, she broke my heart. Now, I'm not saying I avoided "Rachael's" for the rest of my life. But I did avoid her "type" for a good decade. I guess it's reasonable to think this principle would apply to politics ...

Human nature instills in us a belief that (if we keep tinkering long enough) we will eventually get it (whatever it is) right. Sometimes we overcompensate, throw the baby out with the bath water, and mess things up worse than before. Sometimes we change for the sake of change. But sometimes, we get it right.