You might think this doesn’t come easily for me, and there could be some truth to that. Still, I like to think that I’m a big enough person to recognize intellectual honesty and originality of thought…even if it comes in an ideological package I might not buy. It should be a widely-recognized reality that there’s a good deal of intellectual dishonesty on both sides of the ideological fence, which is why I hold Meghan McCain in such high esteem. As a committed Liberal Democrat, I categorically reject much of what she stands for…and yet we have much in common. Yes, she’s a committed Republican, but as she herself says, she’s decidedly not Conservative when it comes to social issues. An opponent of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and a vocal proponent for same sex marriage, it almost seems as if she’s been smoking the same stuff I do.
Call it the idealism of youth, the rejection of Right-wing dogma, and/or the refusal to be put into the ideological box Conservatives normally allow themselves to be confined in. Whatever you call it, McCain is willing to stand up for the idea that Republicans can also be Moderate. Time was when the term “Liberal Republican” wasn’t a laugh line from David Letterman. There have always been Republicans who, while decidedly Conservative on defense, foreign policy, and fiscal issues, have been rather Liberal on social issues. “Live and let live” is not a philosophy owned by us bleeding-heart Liberals…though it certainly seems that way sometimes.
McCain’s stance for moderation has not come without cost. In many cases, her views stand in stark contrast to her father, Arizona Sen. John McCain. Sen. McCain, who has distinguished himself by being willing to do and say ANYTHING to become President, has becomes decidedly more Conservative as his political prospects have become more precarious. His daughter, while loyal to her father, has broken from him on many issues, particularly social concerns. For her independence and her willingness to stand up and be counted, Meghan McCain has not exactly been welcomed with open arms by many Conservatives. In today’s GOP, different is bad, and dissent from the party line is considered inherently heretical and evil. McCain has been treated as a heretic, a traitor to her party, and an apostate- all because she happens to believe that Conservatism is not a one-size-fits-all philosophy. I admire her for her commitment and her belief that Conservatism and “Live and let live” are not incompatible philosophies.
Watching her interview with Rachel Maddow, I found myself thinking that Meghan McCain is the kind of Republican who really should have a bright future in the GOP. With more intellectual and philosophical flexibility such as hers, we might actually be able to get some things accomplished that could move this country forward. Unfortunately, today’s GOP is still mired in the “show no mercy, take no prisoners, kill them all, and let God sort them out” philosophy that’s led to their well-deserved reputation as the party of “NO!!” and no ideas.
Meghan McCain is a Republican I could have a beer or two with, and someone I could see myself finding some middle ground with. The sad thing is that there aren’t more Republicans like her out there. For most Republicans, politics is a zero-sum, winner-take-all proposition. Compromise is a sign of weakness, the sort of thing really only seriously entertained by losers and Liberals. And you wonder why our public discourse is in such a sorry state….
