Both Obama and former President George W. Bush (the men who defeated McCain’s own presidential aspirations in 2008 and 2000, respectively) were a part of the program put together to pay tribute to the Arizona senator on Saturday at the National Cathedral, one day before his burial on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
MUCH
WAS MADE of the fact that McCain, before he died a week ago at age 81, asked
Obama and Bush to speak in tribute, whereas incumbent President Donald Trump
wasn’t even invited.
Obama
was willing to go along with the theme of challenging the political style of
Trump – which seems determined to challenge the styles of everyone who came
before him as somehow being illegitimate.
As
Obama put it, “So much of our politics, our public life, our public discourse
can seem small and mean and petty, trafficking in bombast and insult and phony controversies
and manufactured outrage. It’s a politics that pretends to be brave and tough
but in fact is born in fear.”
But
that shouldn’t mean that political activity is meant to be for the meek at heart
– for people who can’t handle a punch or two.
REMEMBER
BACK TO Peter Finley Dunne’s “Mr. Dooley” character, the 19th
Century Chicago Sout’ Side bartender who told us, “politics ain’t beanbag.”
Meaning
it was played for keeps, with the people succeeding the most being the ones
capable of fighting it out. Which is what I’m sure Trump thinks he’s doing
every time he concocts another insipid tweet on his Twitter account to try to
motivate the segment of the masses who actually enjoy this Age of Trump we now
live in.
Could it be the difference between Trump and a legitimate political leader is that the former president had ideas – or in the case of Bush knew when to trust more knowledgeable people and defer to their better judgment. Would Mr. Dooley today think our problem is that we need to aggressively fight back against The Donald?
As
opposed to the current chief executive who seems determined to have our society
think he’s a one-man governmental show; which to my mindset is about as
legitimate as a one-man band is to music – usually a whole lot of noise that’s
ridiculously out-of-tune.
OF
COURSE, I suspect most people will little remember anything either Bush or
Obama said. The “quote” of the day seems to come from McCain’s daughter,
Meghan, when she said, “the America of John McCain has no need to be made great
again because America was always great.”
Either
that, or perhaps they will focus their attention on another former president.
Bill Clinton, along with former first lady, senator, secretary of state AND presidential
hopeful Hillary, were at the funeral services in Detroit held for legendary
soul singer Aretha Franklin.
That
might seem like the more significant event, compared to the McCain services
that I’m sure the Trump fanatics will be determined to think of as a gathering
of people out-of-touch with the common man.
Truly
evidence that the Trump-types are off living in their own world, and who want
the rest of us to be forced to live in it with them while in a subservient
position.
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