Media coverage of the Democratic National Convention gives insight into the many-faceted dimensions of the American psyche.
Serious politics, entertainment, punditry, and protest are just a few elements that comprise the pageantry of the convention. One constant theme about the various speakers and their topics is the question of authenticity.
Are they telling the truth? Another way of stating the question is the often used maxim of taking a “measure of the man,” or particularly in this election year, a “measure of the woman,” as well.
Political analysts often assert that character trumps issues. In every presidential election we want to take a “measure of the person,” his or her substance and character.
This issue was the context for Pastor Rick Warren’s televised Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency with Obama and McCain. Pastor Warren’s forum still rings in the background. And there is good reason for the reverberation.
Whether or not one agrees with Pastor Warren’s take on religion, and apparently over 25 million people do according to the sales of his book The Purpose Driven Life, the forum presented insights into an important measure of the character of each candidate.
One of the many spiritually-oriented questions put to each candidate was “Does Evil Exist?” And basically Pastor Warren asked what each candidate thought was possible to do about it. The difference in the candidates” answers was striking.
Obama responded in the affirmative. Evil does exist, and he went on to give examples from the abuse in homes to atrocities like Darfur to crime in our streets. Most significantly, he said that it is hubris to think that we can defeat evil by ourselves. It’s really God’s work, but it is equally important to be partners with God in confronting evil in its many settings, whether at home or abroad.
More significantly, Obama took the risk of claiming that evil can actually be perpetrated by good-willed people who think they’re confronting it. Pastor Warren reacted to that statement by asking if Obama really meant that evil could be perpetrated in the name of doing good. Obama replied by stating that we need to be thoughtful enough to recognize that good intentions don’t automatically mean we’re doing good works.
McCain’s answer was also in the affirmative, but the tone and substance was in striking contrast to Obama’s. McCain also said evil exists and went on to definitively state that evil could be defeated. He singled out Osama Bin Laden as the personification of evil. McCain then bravely proclaimed he would follow Bin Laden to the gates of hell in order to bring him to justice.
One assumes that justice would be a piece of cake if Bin Laden was found already at the gates of hell. McCain stated that the defeat of radical Islamic extremists is the transcendent challenge of the 21st Century.
His other examples of evil centered around the atrocities being perpetrated against innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the danger of Al-Qaeda cells in the U.S. Reference to the invasion of evildoers in our country is one thing, but McCain apparently doesn’t recognize the existence of evil in the midst of our own neighborhoods. No follow-up question from Pastor Warren.
The question of evil is a fair proxy for how each candidate might approach substantive, comprehensive problems they will no doubt face as president in an increasingly complex 21st Century. McCain’s answer was decisive and to the point. He was praised by many politicos for that approach, and it seems consistent with the worldview characterized by his campaign.
Obama’s answer was nuanced and, according to some commentators, too erudite. One might assume from that criticism that political campaigns need to dumb things down for the American people to understand them.
Do we need a president who decisively breaks down complex issues into simple, decisive answers with equally decisive action? That approach seems all too familiar. It’s what we have had over the past eight years. The evil exhibited in 9/11 has been distilled into simple answers with decisive actions-with disastrous results.
A substantive challenge of the 21st Century is for our president to thoughtfully engage a rapidly changing world. It is increasingly clear that Obama’s worldview and considered action is what this country needs. The question of evil is destined to become ever increasingly complex with advancements in technology and social upheaval of every variety.
In this presidential year the world is taking the measure of our country. American erudition must trump the type of straightforward decisiveness that has characterized our country’s missteps in the beginning of this new century. To do otherwise threatens world respect for American moral judgment, the most precious aspect of American civil character and diplomacy.
Marcel J. Dumestre, Ed.D., is academic dean, College for Professional Studies, Regis University. EDITOR’S NOTE: This online-only guest commentary has not been edited. Guest commentary submissions of up to 650 words may be sent to openforum@denverpost.com.
