Sharpton is a smart guy. In some ways, he's a good guy. But a moral arbiter? Let's not get carried away.

Cal Ripken is steady, he focuses on his job, and he's a good guy.

You don't need to be the good guy to get a good message out.

In all good westerns, the good guy is always a little bit questionable because he kind-of has to make moral judgments.

Bush's brand of forthright tough-guy populism can be appealing, and it has played well in Texas. Yet occasionally there are flashes of meanness visible beneath it.

Reject cynicism. Reject certitude. And don't be a jerk. Be a good guy.