Invisible man -- Brownback

Steve Kraske of the Kansas City Star ponders in this column why Gov. Brownback is getting passed by his protege and other young rising Republican stars.

Kraske doesn't really answer the question of why our fair Governor is being overlooked. Fortunately, Gidget is here with the answer.

Kraske writes:

At the Republican National Convention in Tampa last month, Brownback was the invisible man when it came to face time on the national stage. No speaking slot. No crowds of reporters eager to record his thoughts. No prime-time interviews with network anchors.

No one on earth would offer Brownback a speaking slot on the national stage. He's about as exciting as watching paint dry. Back when Brownback was a Senator, I used to cringe every time I saw him interviewed on national TV. He came off kind of, well, dumb.

Now, Brownback isn't a simpleton, but he always looks as if he could use a teleprompter. His reactions on television appear forced. He laughs, he smiles and it all seems a little scripted.

He's not a great speaker, either. Maybe he's trying to sound reasoned and thoughtful, but every time I hear him speak he sounds monotone and he looks bored.

Brownback isn't where he is today because of his charisma. That's for sure.

Everyone knows Brownback has presidential ambitions. Unfortunately for him, I don't think it's in the cards for a million reasons including the ones listed above.

Brownback has peaked -- not just because he lacks the charisma of a player on the national stage. But also because the face of America has changed. We seek inspirational leaders with vision. And when those pieces are missing, we're rooting for the underdog -- the beautiful, sassy woman whose political career began in the PTA; the black man with a single mother who worked himself through Harvard; the veteran who spent years in a foreign prison -- Americans want a narrative. (This is one of the myriad of problems with the Romney candidacy. Don't even get me started on that one!)

We got our fill of the white-guy-turned-lawyer-turned-politician-turned-legacy with George W. Bush. And for the record, I love GWB. I smile every time I see an old clip of the former President. He is someone I would still love to have a beer with. Sam Brownback is not. He will never call the White House home.

Read more here: http://midwestdemocracy.com/articles/kraske-brownback-getting-passed-highway-life/#storylink=cpy