Who'll Meet The Demand For Unity?

What all of them are describing helps explain why Democratic governors are flourishing politically in "red states" such as Arizona, Montana and Wyoming, and why Republican governors are favored for reelection in such "blue" states as Vermont, Connecticut and Minnesota.

It also suggests why there may be a special burden on presidential candidates whose experience and credentials have been forged largely in the partisan warfare of Washington.

In 2000 Sen. John McCain largely avoided the label of extreme partisanship because of his reputation as an independent thinker. But he still lost the Republican nomination to Bush, who campaigned as someone whose record in Texas showed him to be "a uniter and not a divider."

Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, one of the Democratic contenders for 2008, has obviously picked up these vibes. In interviews and stump speeches, he dwells much more on his experiences as governor for eight years than on his current membership on the Senate intelligence committee.

But what about Hillary Rodham Clinton? She leads all the early polls for the Democratic nomination. But can she avoid being seen simply as a battle-scarred veteran of the partisan Washington wars? Is there anything in her record that speaks to the hunger for consensus?

davidbroder@washpost.com