A MODERATE PROPOSAL


and a partisan disdain.

A little more than two years ago, I declared my (qualified) endorsement of former Virginia Governor (and now, likely soon-to-be Virginia Senator) Mark Warner for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. A few months later, he announced that he would not seek it. I was disappointed then, and have remained disappointed since. His speech last night, while not exactly barn-burning or stem-winding, reminded why I did, why I was, and why I still should be.

You can read it here.

And then, perhaps, you can consider how much better off this election, and indeed this country, would be if we had fewer people who just want to score points for themselves and their party, and more people who just want everyone to win:

You know, I spent 20 years in business. If you ran a company whose only strategy was to tear down the competition, it wouldn't last long. So why is this wisdom so hard to find in Washington? I know we're at the Democratic Convention, but if an idea works, it really doesn't matter if it has an "R" or "D" next to it. Because this election isn't about liberal versus conservative. It's not about left versus right. It's about the future versus the past.

That paragraph, as rational and sensible and positive and productive a message as has ever been delivered at a Democratic or a Republican National Convention, received tepid applause, a few cheers, and a smattering of boos. It would have received the same -- or perhaps worse -- next week in Minneapolis. Because all too often, from the heads to the back-ends of both parties, common ground for the country is less important than red meat for the party.

If that thought doesn't depress -- and I mean deep-down, not-just-paying-lip-service depress -- the hell out of you, then I don't know what to say to you. Except that you probably should have stopped reading this site a long time ago.

Posted: Wed - August 27, 2008 at 10:13 AM          

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