Today’s Impromptus begins with some thoughts about experience — experience in politics. Obviously, experience counts. You’d rather have experience than not. And to dismiss or disdain experience is, among other things, deeply unconservative. But other things count, too — such as worldview, character, and talent.

In college, I did some reading about James Buchanan (the president, not the economist — if I had read about the economist, I’d probably be better off today). Buchanan had experience out the yan: state rep; U.S. House member (and chairman of the Judiciary Committee); ambassador to Russia; U.S. senator (and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee); secretary of state; ambassador to Britain; and then prez. He had even turned down a seat on the Supreme Court.

Anyway . . .