Senator McCain shushes the booing crowds and gently rebukes the rancor and divisiveness of the long campaign. Very statesmanlike. Honorable. Classy. This is a McCain who impresses me. He plaintively asks his booing audience "Please, please..." and I wonder if he is occasionally saddened that the nation for which he endured war, prison and torture so easily descends into indecency, suspicion, bitterness and hatred, and if the necessities of campaigning warred against a basic sense of honor, patriotism, and friendship for his fellow Senators.
When Senator McCain takes the responsibility for failure of the campaign, I think he is speaking of his failure to set an example as a statesman--his failure to match President-Elect Obama's marriage of firm convictions with civility, tranquility and faith in democracy. He did an excellent job of not playing the victim. Obama seemed to rise above anger, bitterness, and spite, and encouraged his supporters to hope and believe and act. McCain didn't manage to do that--I think he got lost in a campaign of fear, rancor, self-importance, arrogance, excitement, and the odd emotions of a stubborn, beer swilling reverse-elitism.
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3 comments:
I completely agree with what you said here. I think that McCain's campaign persona was so different than his normal one, which seemed to be the one which gave this speech. Which leads me to think that there were powerful Republican forces behind the campaign who were basically requiring the arrogant, fear-mongering "reverse-elitism" (perfect word, by the way) that epitomized the McCain-Palin campaign. Because it didn't seem like the McCain that people liked in the first place. Which I think hurt him in the end.
But between the economy and President-elect Obama's elitism, I'm not sure that there was anything that he could do to win this. If only he had beaten President Bush out for the nomination back in 2000 ...
You admire qualities in the man because he is gracious in defeat? Wow. Look at that form as he bows the knee. The hand off of his (not very bloody) sword was nicely done.
Man, you must be married. You've been domesticated. Lost your militant edge.
I grieve for my nation because it's enemies are about to rule over it.
But I take hope in 2 cor. 4:8 "We are afflicted, but not crushed. perplexed, but not despairing."
Honor in defeat, or dishonor in victory? See also, at what cost our humanity?* The current president has led his party in believing that the ends--political power, doing things our way, national security--justify the means--violating civil rights, subverting or breaking the law, torturing enemy combatants, and calling Americans unpatriotic for disagreeing.
Since when do Americans bloody their swords on each other? Do you really think that your president-elect, and over fifty percent of your fellow Americans are your country's enemies, and therefore, guilty of treason? Is that even possible?
Is it a war? Does Christ call you to declare war on your neighbors because they don't agree with you? Why are we talking in the language of warfare, death, treason and utter ruin during a presidential election in a democratic republic?
--
*(also known as "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?")
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