There’s something highly discordant about the John McCain memorial service that needs to be noted.
It’s being portrayed as a rebuke to Trump & his toxic brand of politics ... but what’s glossed over is that many of the people in that room are responsible for Trump’s rise
It’s being portrayed as a rebuke to Trump & his toxic brand of politics ... but what’s glossed over is that many of the people in that room are responsible for Trump’s rise
George W Bush contributed to the feelings of insecurity and fear of terrorism and “others” that came after 9/11 ... not to mention his violations of the rule of law
Like many Republicans in the National Cathedral today W refused to speak out publicly against Trump
Obama to a much, much lesser extent contributed as well, with his decision to leave unpunished those who broke the law and contributed to the 2008 crash. That fed the populism that contributed to Trump’s rise
There are all the congressional Republicans, particularly Mitch McConnell who contributed to and fed the nation’s deep political polarization, which allows Trump to remain safely ensconced in power
There’s the entire class of Washington elite - both politicians and journalists - who have treated accountability as if it only applies to everyone but them
Then there is McCain himself who put Sarah Palin on a presidential ticket and did little to stop the demonization and delegitimization of Obama and his policies after he was elected
There is the McCain who is rebuking Trump in death, but who in life largely remained silent or complicit in Trump’s rise to power
I get the impulse for people in Washington to say we’re better than Trump or to present themselves as different and separate than Trump ... but nearly all of them in some way contributed to his rise
And they did so by acting the opposite of what they praise about McCain today ... namely allowing their actions to be dictated by political and/or craven self-interest
I keep seeing people see that we need politics that looks more like what we’re seeing today in the National Cathedral. I disagree. We need politics & politicians that recognize their own culpability in Trump’s ascendancy
We need more politicians who are as reflective and self-critical as John McCain often was
We need politicians that recognize Trump is no aberration but is the logical outcome of a politics that has for years been small, mean, dishonest and cowardly
We need politicians who don’t just excel at political symbolism but who have the courage of their convictions - to do the right thing no matter the political consequences
Let’s be clear: getting rid of Trump is necessary and important. But it won’t fix what’s wrong with American politics. That would require true introspection and what we’re getting today looks nothing like that
