History will remember this election for the coarsening of American politics and the sheer vulgarity displayed by the McCain campaign in pitting Americans against one another.
The notion has been introduced that there are real Americans, those that are not. The idea that those with whom you do not agree are unpatriotic.
In comments by Senator McCain and surrogates, Americans have been told that ideas with which they disagree are “un-American”; that those with whom they disagree are terrorists; that blue areas of America are not “pro-America”.
Hatred, bias and outright racism have been repackaged as patriotism; threats and hate speech are tolerated as political discourse.
This deepening of the divide bodes ill for America’s future. Senator McCain’s campaign is playing with fire and opening up a divide we haven’t seen since the communist witch-hunts of the 1950’s. This type of rhetoric opens up the potential for post-electoral violence for which Senator McCain will be responsible.
America is an idea, an idea where those with differing ideas can gather around the table of a common devotion to freedom and democracy and debate the merits of those ideas. It is not about demeaning those who hold diverging ideas as somehow less deserving of respect. It is not about questioning the patriotism of those who hold differing thought.
The McCain campaign is focused on winning by any means necessary, regardless of the damage done to the nation.
In the climate McCain has fostered, how can any leader hope to govern effectively? McCain portrays himself as a servant of America. He needs to step forward and prove it. He must discuss the issues without hate and division and direct his surrogates to discuss policy without questioning patriotism.
In doing so, he may just resurrect the last shreds of his tattered honor in the process.
Christopher Wade
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