Right on the money

Some Republicans believe the new message of sound economics and social conservatism delivered by publishing magnate Steve Forbes could unite their party in a way the GOP has not seen since Ronald Reagan. There's one problem. Reserved Yankee Episcopalians don't mix well with conservative evangelicals who hold veto power in the GOP presidential primaries. Which is why Mr. Forbes is working so hard so early to win their trust. | Bob Jones

Steve Forbes is a great argument against reincarnation. If there were any karmic justice in the universe, he'd be a professor right now, droning on about the Gilded Age and the robber barons behind some ivy-covered walls. It's a role he clearly was born for: He loves history; he delivers thoughtful (if less than gripping) lectures; and his round glasses give him the owlishly intellectual look that substitutes for a secret handshake among the academic fraternity.

But something went wrong. Mr. Forbes was born into one of America's foremost publishing dynasties, and all that professorial potential was wasted on making bundles of money. Fifty years and billions of dollars later, however, the family empire is feeling a bit restrictive, and Mr. Forbes is ready for a career change. Too bad for students everywhere he's decided against applying for that teaching job at Princeton, his alma mater. Evidently, he believes that making history would be more fun than teaching it. So, for his next career, he'd like to be president.