I'm always intrigued about the things that really grab Americans’ attention.

When people are willing to arrive early and wait in line for hours or days, just to be the “first” to observe this or that, well - - that’s an “attention grabber” - - and it says something about people’s preferences and tastes.

One of the most amazing recent displays of this happened with the unveiling of the new Apple iPhone. This “smart phone” gadget not only allows you to make telephone calls, it also serves up music, video, email and webpages, all built around an easy-to-navigate touch screen in lieu of the typical telephone buttons.

It’s also noteworthy to consider what the Apple iPhone doesn’t entail. Things that have become standard equipment for many other mobile telephones, like video games, songs as ringtones, and a touchtone keyboard, are not a part of this new creation.

It’s as though the folks at Apple really got a firm grip on what it is that Americans want and need the most in the realm of mobile communications and electronic gadgets - - and what they don’t want so much - - and put the important stuff together in one great package.

Apple has become accustomed to hitting these kinds of homeruns in recent years. In fact, they’ve created such a loyalty to their products that hardcore Apple enthusiasts are sometimes referred to as members of the “iCult.” And the reason for the enthusiasm and loyalty seems fairly obvious: Apple products deliver what a lot of people want and need, and they do so with reliability.

Now, imagine if other individuals and organizations got this vision. Imagine, for example, if a presidential candidate got a firm grip on what America wants and needs - - and what America doesn’t want and need - - and then delivered.

I know, I know - - this analogy is a stretch. Readers of Townhall Dot Com will be especially quick to point out that the selection of a President is far more important that the selection of a consumer product - - and that is most certainly correct.

But I’ve got to believe that there isn’t one candidate in the race right now who wouldn’t love to invoke the kind of loyalty and enthusiasm that Apple has engendered. And for this reason, if for no other, I think there might be something to be learned from Apple.

Let’s start by acknowledging that Americans are far more divided, and far more partisan about their politics and worldviews than they are about consumer product choices. And this partisan divide is most evident during periods like they one we’re in now - - the primary campaign season.

Still, the dramatic contrasts between the respective parties seems a bit absurd. Listening to the Republican candidates, for example, you quickly get the idea that the greatest problem our nation faces right now is the ongoing threat of terrorism (which I happen to believe is correct). Continued...