What of Hillary Clinton? Why hasn’t her storyline of becoming the first female president ignited more of the women in the electorate? Senator Sanders has skillfully tapped into an older and more durable Clinton storyline, about trustworthiness, and nothing Secretary Clinton has offered has been able to overcome that. She simply doesn’t have a story to tell yet that is strong enough. Same problem on the Republican side is afflicting Bush, Christie, and the other establishment figures. Competence is not a story.

Governor Kasich surprised everyone by coming in second with a love story of political harmony. He’s proven that a positive love story can get a hearing alongside two powerful, negative revenge stories. But can it get more than a hearing? My guess is no; the zeitgeist is too negative. I’m a huge fan of love stories, so I’d be delighted to be shown otherwise, but I’m afraid that love will come in second to hate this time around.

Understand, though, that a love story can be just as powerful when told well to the right audience in the right mood. But politics tends to move in pendulum swings, and President Obama won on a promise to bring love and bipartisanship to the Capitol, and that was now eight long, bitter years ago. We’re not ready for another love story yet.

So for now, Revenge is the story of the hour, and perhaps this election cycle. A good Quest story could still win, though. Where is the candidate who has the right Quest story to tell us? For Americans, and indeed most of the world, the Quest is the most powerful story of all. Will one of the candidates figure out how to tell us a Quest story and make us believe it? Then, the political fortunes could shift again to someone else.

I’ll be talking about storytelling and public speaking at our first public event in 6 years in Boston on April 22nd. It’s a one-day conference designed to make you expert in both the content and delivery of a powerful presentation.  Sign up early to avoid disappointment — spaces are limited