That he jumped ship after being shut out (yes, in fact, I do having something of a gift for mixed metaphors) didn’t seem intolerably opportunistic at the time.

But I got a closer look at Rhee (literally) in the beginning of 2002, or was it the end of 2001 - anyway it was snowing so let’s assume it was winter.

Asked to be on a education policy advisory committee for Rhee in his capacity as a National Assembly rep. Quickly became apparent at our first (and last) meeting that this was classic bait-and-switch. This was about organizing us to support his presidential candidacy. Nothing more.

That got off the ground like a lead zeppelin. A group of professor-politicians we were not.

What sticks with me was the way Rhee’s slimy consigliere breathlessly whispered to a colleague, “just think, if he wins, we’ll be at the center of power!”

And actually, at the time, he was the hands-down favorite. None of us even knew who the hell Roh Moo-Hyun was. Unfortunately, that changed.

Anyway, my 2 cents: whether Rhee could be a good president, I don’t know. Whether he could be an effective used car salesman, I’m in little doubt.

One jump may be OK but he has changed twice that I know of.

The progressives are still candidate-less, and if Rhee is an opportunist, this is a perfect opportunity for another shot at the presidency.
But as said above already, he wont win. And this time he wont be splitting conservative votes either. Lets hope for this reign of liberalism to end.

according to what I heard, Lee In Jae is well respected in his choong chung district that elects him to the Korean Parliament.

They don’t see him as an opportunist at all.

Well, if the good people of the Nonsan-Geumsan-Gyeryong electoral district like him, he must be an OK guy.

would you call New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg an opportunist?

I won’t.