Civility in a modern political race? What a novel idea. No media spin? Also novel. Senator John McCain is proposing just such a thing to Barack Obama. The response was an immediate entry into a struggle for control over the process.
"What a welcome change it would be were presidential candidates in our time to treat each other and the people they seek to lead with respect and courtesy as they discussed the great issues of the day, without the empty soundbites and media-filtered exchanges that dominate our elections," he wrote.
Agendas within agendas and manipulation within manipulations. That is what it has come to. All of us want to paint ourselves in the best light possible to those with whom we come in contact. At the level of politics in a Presidential race, with the power and prestige that is at stake, the temptation to fall to low standards is great. I pray that this race can be elevated to something higher. It would be wonderful to see a true debate of the merits of the various positions on the issues of our day -- not a propaganda-fest crafted by the power of money flowing from specific interest groups. It is John McCain's opportunity to shine if he can rise above the kind of politics that characterized the Democratic primary race.
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