WASHINGTON - An extraordinary series of speeches this week from two former US Presidents and a former presidential candidate warned of the dangers to the nation and the world if divisive politics continues to cleave the American electorate into thoughtlessly hostile warring camps.
Former President George W. Bush talked about a rise in bigotry and casual cruelty. Former President Barack Obama observed that public life seems to be regressing from the 21st to the 19th century. Former presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona stressed the importance of an America engaged with the world and criticized “half-baked, spurious nationalism.”
None mentioned Mr. Trump’s name. To do so would have been both inflammatory and limiting. Their theme was not so much the content of Trump’s tweets as long-developing cracks in the American character. If the cracks are not to widen, voters may need to reach out to each other instead of push away.
“They ... talk about American ideals, they ... talk about the story of America, the American creed and the need to reinvigorate democracy and continue to be the exemplar to the world of democratic values,” says Martin Medhurst, a political scientist at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, specializing in rhetoric and communication. (Agencies)