Sometimes a politician’s instincts just stink

Ihave been thinking lately about politicians who go on about their sensitivity to, and instinct for, the pulse of the common man.

A boast that no doubt hints at heightened situational awareness and an inborn ability to respond appropriately, effectively and tactfully to any high-pressure situation.

“Politicians with their ears so close to the ground they’ve got crickets in it,” as an old American saying goes.

Among the fascinating relatives of the noun “instinct” is the German term “Fingerspitzengefühl.” Taken literally, it means a physical skill controlled by the nerves in the extremities, as in a craftsman who lathes metal to astounding tolerances.

Germans say the Desert Fox, General Erwin Rommel, had this gift on the battlefield. In his book “Inside the Third Reich,” Hitler’s armame