Frank Bruni, who covered Gore in 2000, later became a restaurant critic. And their '08 Obama campaign reporter is becoming a theater critic.
I think people who are good (if they are good) at this type of thing have genuine talent, but I just don't think editors should see campaign journalism as theater/food criticism. Good critics of this type can be good at explaining certain types of things, but those types of things really aren't what should be the central elements of political reporting. A small part of it, sure, but not the primary part.
