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Sometimes the most revealing insight into a candidate comes not from their banter on health care or taxes, but how they handle the more spontaneous moments.

See the Democrats this week. Does anyone remember anything substantive that Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama said during the South Carolina debate this week amid the repeated finger wagging and Terminator-like staredowns?

I do like a passionate candidate. But their intensity came across as petty, not productive. They tried too hard to seem real and knowledgeable, and in the process they let the theatrics steal the substance.

Then there’s John Edwards who, in 8 minutes on the Late Show with David Letterman last night, uttered not one word from his stump speech but captured the audience smack in the palm of his hand. He didn’t say anything about his stance on Iraq, education, poverty, etc. He simply seized the moment.

Edwards was likeable, funny, self-depricating and confident — the refreshing option to the Springer-esque feud the night before. He had a sharp answer for everything, yet didn’t come across as canned. He took at shot at President Bush, took a shot at his competitors, took a shot at Bill O’Reilly, and even gave Letterman a few jabs. He also laughed, a lot.

Mind you, the candidates on both sides are all seasoned politicos who know how to posture. They’re smart and polished. They’re also human, with emotions and egos that sometimes get in the way.

A presidential race is about, if nothing else, perception — do I want this guy or gal with their finger on the button for the next four years. Edwards may not even finish second in his party this year, but for one night he gave his challengers a lesson in schmoozing they might want to take to heart down the road.

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