Gov. Mark Sanford made a deft strategic move last week in unveiling his Taxpayer Empowerment Amendment of 2006 after S.C. legislators overrode most of his 163 budget vetoes last month. But given the irrelevancy into which he slid during the 2005 legislative session, having no discernible effect on legislators' spending decisions, there's good reason to wonder whether Sanford ever will learn how to govern.

His constitutional amendment, as we noted Monday, makes for great political fodder in 2006, a re-election year for Sanford and the entire S.C. House. But given Sanford's ineptitude at practical politics - compromising gets at least part of what you want - why would he necessarily deserve re-election, assuming he tries for a second term?

On the strength of a strong platform of state-government reform, voters, in 2002, gave him the office by a wide margin. But during the ensuing three legislative sessions, Sanford pursued that agenda mainly by lecturing legislators on how state government ought to be, while showing a disinclination toward compromise.

We supported his election in 2002, with the caveat to voters that his capacity for governing was an unknown, as his only previous experience was three terms as a fiscal maverick in the U.S. House. Governing requires imagination, flexibility and leadership.

Sanford has imagination aplenty, but thus far has shown little capacity for flexibility or leadership. If he doesn't develop - and exercise - those qualities in 2006, he'll have trouble convincing thoughtful S.C. voters that a second term is warranted.