is the title of this op ed by Stephen Stromberg in today’s Washington Post. In it he recapitulates a number of the more ridiculous statements offered by the Republican candidates last night, such as these two:
Obama “acts as an apologist for radical Islamic terrorism,” Cruz said.
“The world has been torn asunder,” former Florida governor Jeb Bush insisted. “In this administration, every weapon system has been gutted,” he said. (Really? Every one?)
Normally as one who teaches Advanced Placement US Government and Politics, I watch all such debates in their entirety, and often listen to some of the post debate commentary. After less than an hour of last night’s episode, I walked away because of the intemperateness and inaccuracy of much of what was being said (and for the inaccuracies, might I suggest Glenn Kessler in the same publication in a piece titled Fact checking the sixth round of GOP debates. Kessler notes that it is the practice of his fact-checking site not to award Pinocchios to measure the untruthfulness of statements when reviewing debates, but also notes the number of previously Pinoochioed statements repeated by the candidates.
What caught my attention in the column by Stromberg were his final three paragraphs, which I decided justified taking the time to post about them before heading off to give midterms examinations this morning.
Please continue on to read them.
Here they are:
Here is a dose of reality: It is possible to disagree with the GOP base and be a patriot. The nation faces many challenges, but it is stronger economically and more secure from various foreign threats than nearly everywhere else in the world. In many ways, Americans are better off now than they ever have been. The continuing desire of non-Americans to move, work and do business here is a sign of strength, showing the appeal of the United States rather than demonstrating weakness.
For those of us with who don’t see national destruction looming around every corner, there were a couple of somewhat encouraging moments Thursday night. One of them: Bush insisted that Trump is “unhinged” for insisting that no Muslim should be allowed into the United States, arguing that the country needs to build relationships with peaceful Muslims.
But that moment of moral competence was only impressive by comparison with practically everything else the candidates — including Bush himself — said Thursday night.
Anyone who is regular denizen of this website would probably strongly agree with what Stromberg offers. But clearly, listening to the audience at the debate, a significant portion of the Republican base “thinks” otherwise.
Regardless of whether or not a Democratic candidate wins the Presidency, the level of Republican rhetoric and the response to it by a significant portion of the base should not only be cautionary, it should scare the living daylights out of us.
MORAL COMPETENCE — either the Republican candidates know they are distorting and misrepresenting reality for political purposes or else they are dangerously deluded. And that should be something frightening for all of us.
Especially for those of us who teach government. It is hard enough to maintain composure while discussing these statements. It is horrifying to think of what such statements might mean were someone so removed from reality or else so fundamentally IMMORAL in what he is willing to do to achieve the Oval Office actually succeed in getting there.
Just saying. . .