Reading the comments from the McCain thread Kos posted last night, I got to thinking again that in the face of an unprecendented threat from the extreme right wing now in power, there's more that unites us than separates us from the sort of principled conservatives who view John McCain as their leader. While the current level of partisan conflict seems unprecedented, I believe the high rhetorical volume and the extremists on both sides have obscured the reality that a vital center still exists in American politics and governance, and it's waiting to be rediscovered.
I probably disagree with John McCain on about 70 percent of "the issues," from choice to arts funding to government's regulatory role and so on. But the issues where I'm with him--fiscal responsibility, sound environmental policies, campaign finance reform, a foreign policy of principled realism--frankly strike me as more important right now. Add to that my belief that he's a good man who really considers issues and is willing to change his mind, and consistently puts the national good as he perceives it over partisan or personal gain, and this is a guy I want on my side in the real battle: saving America from Cheney/DeLay/Rove/Norquist theoligarchy and visions of empire.
Now, I don't really think Kerry has the vision or political courage to do what I think he should do: offer McCain the vice-presidency and run on a National Unity ticket pledged to address the great problems of our time--terrorism, the environment, macroeconomic transformation, demographic change and entitlement reform--in a pragmatic, non-ideological way. I don't think he has the cojones to say that country is more important than party, and that if elected he will run a government of the vital center with people like Lugar, Bill Bradley, Chris Shays, Bob Kerrey, Lieberman, Shaheen, Steve Gunderson, Cleland, Wes Clark and other responsible centrists in positions of prominence.
But he should. Not only would it be great politics--finally framing the debate as the middle vs. the far right and exposing the Bushistas as the extremists they are--but it would be responsible governance, reaffirming that more unites us as Americans than divides us. George Washington would be proud.
What do you think?
