I happened to catch on one of my local NPR stations this afternoon a talk that Colin Powell gave at the Aspen Institute a few days ago, focusing on the Iraq war. Maybe it’s just me, but to my ears Powell is the only one out there who talks sense about the war — why it matters, what mistakes we’ve made, how to move forward from here, without unnecessary hand-wringing and finger-pointing. Plus, I don’t think any of the candidates out there can come close to him when he talks about why the idea, and ideals, of America are important and even inspiring. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’d vote for him in a NY minute, and I suspect there are lots and lots of folks out there who feel the same way.