I read with great interest Jon Schaff's post below about John McCain and character in politics, and have a few of my own observations about character, politics, and John McCain.
In politics, character counts. Politicians and opinion leaders today don't focus on this any longer. Part of it stems from the 1960s ideology that disengages morality, virtue, and honor from public policy. Part of it has to do with the politics of public policy: deal with issues facing the country, deal with the economy, satisfy the passions of the voters. With those goals in mind, there's no need for saints in office.
Divorcing character and politics, however, is inevitably bad for politics. Separating the two is not something the Founders would have considered. The members of the Constitutional Convention worried greatly about the office of the president, where all executive power would be housed. For the republic they envisioned, power was both necessary and dangerous; necessary because "a more perfect Union" required an active government, dangerous because power can be abused regardless of legal limits placed on it. The establishment of the executive and its future depended on the first man who held the office and who would initiate good habits of governance. The tradition that would be established would become custom, they believed, so that even individuals of lesser virtue would be compelled to uphold the standard. That man was General George Washington. The citizens of America regarded Washington very highly. He was bold, dedicated, loyal, full of integrity, and never abrogated his responsibilities. He believed in self-government, understood people had to govern their passions, and earned the trust of his fellow citizens. We don't need superhuman figures in American politics, but Washington reminds us that without him we would not have developed laws that make the need for great people rare. This doesn't mean we cannot do without good individuals. As citizens, we should demand that politicians be good and honest. We should expect them to not sway with public opinion. Character sometimes means doing the right thing when not forced to.
We might also think to ancient Rome and Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, whose name now graces cities in America (Cincinnatus, New York; Cincinnati, Ohio). Cincinnatus served as consul in 460 BC and became a Roman dictator in 458 BC and 439 BC. When tribes from the east and southeast began to heckle Rome, the Roman Senate requested Cincinnatus to assume the dictatorship over Rome and save the city. As the story goes, Cincinnatus had started a small farm that he labored over on his own, and knew leaving meant his family may starve if crops went unsown. Yet he assented to their request and went on to defeat the tribes in sixteen days. As a testament to his character, he immediately resigned himself of absolute authority after the end of the crisis. When the plebeian revolt erupted in 439 BC, the Senate again called on him to serve as dictator and squelched the uprising. After the war, Cincinnatus again resigned and went back to his farm. Livy, writing in his Ab Urbe Condita, said this when introducing Cincinnatus: ". . . it was determined that a dictator should be appointed to retrieve their shattered fortunes. Lucious Quinctius Cincinnatus was appointed by universal consent. It is worthwhile for those persons who despise all things human in comparison with riches, and who suppose that there is no room for exalted honour, or for virtue, except where riches abound in great profusion, to listen to the following . . ." The Roman Senate explicitly chose someone of strong character and honor, somebody they could trust. It's with little wonder why the Society of Cincinnati was founded after the American Revolution, and first presided over by none other than George Washington.
McCain's "maverick" tendency has annoyed many Republicans, including myself, and I would certainly include myself on the list of McCain's conservative detractors. Like Dr. Schaff, I share the concern over the McCain-Feingold Act, among other things. But his willingness to go against the tide is respectable, and on several occasions he has displayed extraordinary courage and integrity, not the least of which includes his Vietnam heroism. No candidate is perfect. Rudy Giuliani had advocated government-funded abortions. Mitt Romney has taken several peregrinations on social issues. McCain has McCain-Feingold and skepticism about tax cuts. But it's not always about issues. McCain doesn't necessarily deserve the presidency just because of courage and character, but does teach us that some politicians still act with such virtues and we should be mindful to note that. Conservatives shouldn't give up on McCain; indeed, Jonah Goldberg pleaded with conservative back in April to "don't ignore McCain." The old maxim is still true: in politics, character counts. Let us judge our politicians on that.
For the record, here are some of the presidential candidates South Dakota's politicians have endorsed:
Larry Pressler: Rudy Giuliani
Tom Daschle: Barack Obama
Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin: John Edwards
John Thune: John McCain
George McGovern: Hillary Clinton
Mike Rounds: Mike Huckabee
Jim Abdnor: Would like to see Newt Gingrich run
Jim Abourezk: Undecided, but would like to see Ron Paul or Chuck Hagel
Source: Dave Kranz, "Endorsing Giuliani: Pressler remembers candidates' help during ABSCAM," Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 17 October 2007.
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