Ryan L. Cole: Positively Shermanesque

Ryan L. Cole writes from Indiana.

Republicans, increasingly anxious about the approaching presidential contest, are spending an inordinate amount of time searching for saviors.

As a result, accomplished governors, charismatic candidates-turned talk show hosts, and rising congressional stars have been beseeched to run, and all have politely declined.

Disconsolate, GOP faithful wonder how any concerned and qualified citizen could possibly resist the call of the White House. For guidance, they should consult William Tecumseh Sherman.

The controversial general's notoriety extends beyond his brilliant battlefield strategy; by his own admission, he was the first American to turn down the presidency.

Sherman's rejection of the 1884 Republican presidential nomination, referenced with regularity every four years, is legendary. But his rationale for refusing, less frequently cited, should provide comfort to those who opt not run and bring clarity to their frustrated suitors...