The Washington Post reports that James Stockdale, fighter pilot, courageous U.S. prisoner of war in Vietnam, Stoic philosopher, and sadly, out-of-his-element debater as Ross Perot’s running mate in 1992, has died at 81. The conventional wisdom that year assumed that this man’s deep philosophical writings would come through at the podium. The Post obituary even notes that David Broder wrote at the time, “The brainy, selfless and distinctly unegotistical Stockdale, will make both Vice President [Dan] Quayle and Sen. Albert Gore Jr., the Democrats’ No. 2 man, seem like callow youths” in their debate. He wasn’t alone:

“Look out for Stockdale. I think he’s going to be very engaging.”

– NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell, October 12, 1992 Today.

“I think it’s going to be especially difficult for Quayle, because he’s got two really smart people he’s debating against….He’s got another unknown in Stockdale, who’s really going to be hard for him to hold a candle to intellectually.”

– Newsweek reporter (and former Dukakis campaign worker) Clara Bingham on the Fox Morning News, October 12, 1992.

Stockdale began by asking “Who am I? Why am I here?” Instead of sounding like a beginning rhetorical question, it sounded like he’d wandered in by accident, leaving him to be parodied by Phil Hartman on “Saturday Night Live.” It made you wish someone in the Perot camp had worked harder with him, but this is the fate of third parties, often trying not to sound canned and “professional” and instead sounding unprepared to lead.