Trump insulted the President and African-Americans and his fellow candidates said nothing. Trump insulted Mexico, Mexicans, immigrants and they said little. Trump insulted Democrats, Republicans, government employees and they said nothing. Trump insulted women and people of faith and they said nothing.
But when Trump insulted John McCain — soldier, POW and veteran — his fellow wanna-be presidents rose in righteous bi-partisan indignation. This is interesting less because of one loud, obnoxious, egomaniac, windbag than because of the light it shines on the taboos of the political tribes in today’s marketplace.
There are some shameful things that nobody should say, but surprisingly few if you listen to the political discourse in the age of talk radio, Tea Party and the tweet. But there are plenty of things that no Democrat or Republican can say without being banished to the outer darkness by his fellow partisans. This makes for campaign rhetoric where each side pulls half of its punches and recognizes no limits of taste, or decorum on the other half.
Democrats depend on minority support for victory, so they stand for civil rights and equal justice under law, which you wouldn’t think should be partisan issues. But they also are expected to favor any program that is alleged to improve the lot of the disadvantaged and minorities no matter how flawed, outmoded or uneconomical.
Democrats must also be uncritical advocates of policies aimed at bettering the lot of working people, teachers and other reliable constituencies no matter how dubious the results of such policies. They are also expected to be suspicious of any action on the part of Wall Street or Big Business, though they are likely to be fawning sycophants of any industries that are major employers in their districts,.
Republicans, by contrast never met a business that wasn’t doing God’s work and forwarding the American Dream, no matter how rapacious, irresponsible, willing to pollute or outsource jobs. Farmers and so-called small businesses in particularly, are deemed sacrosanct and entitled to all the market-distorting tax breaks that can be shoveled their way.
Republicans regularly rail against immigrants, though their donors are only too happy to employ them at substandard wages or import them to staff Silicon Valley start-ups. Minorities and labor are often derided as takers, not makers, welfare queens and leeches on productive people such as Wall Street bankers and hedge fund managers who should be free and unregulated no matter how often they plunge the economy into crisis.
Government should do all it can (Democrats) or nothing (Republicans) to fulfill the duties enumerated in the Preamble to The Constitution — establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty.
On a single provision, the parties find some common ground, the need to provide for the common defense. It is here that Trump touched the third rail. The parties may differ on how much and which defense to buy, and when, where and how to use it, but both parties think it essential to heap lavish praise on members of the armed forces — past and present.
No matter how misbegotten the war or incompetently prosecuted, all participants (until judged guilty by court-martial) are heroes deserving of our love and respect. Unfortunately they are also entitled to an endless supply of broken promises — inadequate pay and benefits, training that fails to prove valuable when they return to civilian life, a veterans’ healthcare system that is an underfunded and ill-managed scandal.
The hypocrisy is appalling. A messenger less flawed than Trump might have actually made a campaign issue out of the overpriced, underperforming , mismanaged and outdated armed forces and veterans apparatus of this country. The need for huge reforms to prepare for today’s threats, to recruit and train today’s manpower and to care for those who have served –all in an efficient and economical manner — couldn’t be more obvious and important.
But such a sober, rational conversation is out of the question in a campaign where Trump casually insults a man who spent years as a prisoner of war and the rest of the candidates rush to defend McCain and attack Trump, but otherwise offer nothing on the larger issues.
Instead each party, after this skirmish, will quickly retreat to its entrenched positions to resume sniping and blasting the other with the heavy artillery of its usual party line. Another year of that, and we will have two standard bearers capable of mouthing all the required biases of his tribe. Thereafter, a titanic battle of billionaire donors will produce a winner unlikely to be interested in or able to lead the nation anymore thoughtfully on issues of importance than Kaiser Donald could. I tremble, as Jefferson said, for my country.