All Things Considered

Lose this most important, career-affirming, long-time aspiration with honour, by clasping his virtuous values close to his bosom through the selection of a running mate whose values exemplify his own (from across the political divide)? Or decide, however painfully, under the realization that there is little other choice, in the drive to win the White House, but to jettison values.

Along with personal honour alongside that sacrifice. Bite the bullet of expedience, and select a vice-presidential running mate whose experience, values and cultural-religious adherence clash with his own. Senator McCain, a man of passionate love of country, an exemplar of political and social moderation, has submitted to his overwhelming, overweening desire to ascend to political power by the only means left to him as a Republican candidate.

Needful of the support of that great Evangelical constituency in America. By professing to share their divisive, undemocratic coercive special agenda. Whereby the relaxation of social mores to accommodate all reasonable lifestyles in a liberal democracy is seen as anathema in a God-fearing democracy.

As one who has long complained of the errancy and divisiveness of partisanship, he offered himself as a Republican more than willing, for the social and political advance of his country, to meet his Democratic peers half-way, in Congress. His was the median between the American left and its right. To meet halfway was simply practical, sensible, and he felt, workable.

Senator McCain's natural doppelganger within the Democratic Party, was his good friend and colleague, sitting as an Independent Democrat - one whose personal popularity remained undiminished, despite his falling-out with mainstream advocates in his party - Senator Joseph Lieberman. They shared a vision, if not an identity, for the future and well-being of their country, as social and political moderates.

Quite simply put, each represented their country's best instincts. Superior attributes as sensitive, sensible, knowledgeable and experienced Congressmen. Even if as elder statesmen - particularly as elder statesmen whom folk wisdom and experiences both domestically and internationally made each expressly suited to governing from the helm, primary lawmakers.

The decision to run as a team would have presented their countrymen with the opportunity to helm their government fully representationally, neutrally, albeit secularly. Despite Senator Lieberman's personal and deep-rooted religious orthodoxy, his deep respect for his country's history and its Constitution would impel and compel him to administer in a manner that fully respected the separation of Church and State.

Despite Senator McCain's lacklustre - given American religious standards - embrace of religion which would naturally propel him to govern in an evenly, moderate, responsible secular manner, however, he experienced an epiphany on the road to the White House, realizing the necessity to clasp fundamental religion close to his bosom.

Truth was they would never have garnered universal Republican support, alas, had Senator McCain chosen to anoint his good friend. An already-suspicious evangelical Christian voting bloc would simply have withheld their vote, handing an easy victory to the Democrats. Who themselves have enthusiastically embraced the social strictures inherent in classical religious belief in the infallibility of God's judgement.

Senator Joseph Biden, the good man that he is, in admitting publicly Senator Clinton's superior experience and readiness for a position he was elevated to, is somewhat in conflict with his own party's relaxed attitudes toward abortion. While Barak Obama's opinion is held as religious heresy by the right, despite his Christian beliefs, his vice-presidential running mate, as a Roman Catholic in good standing, publicy affirmed his personal rejection of abortion rights.

Truth is, the potential candidacy of Senator Lieberman to complement that of Senator McCain would simply have insulted the fundamental values of mainstream Republicans. The support John McCain so much requires to realize his dream of ascending to the presidency would have been denied him through the influential hard-right religious demographic. The vision of a brace of two wise, elderly proponents of responsible moderation - boring beyond belief - politically and socially inadmissible.

They would have failed in the attempt to offer themselves as an antidote to the failed expectations of their predecessors, the Republican presidency under George W. Bush. The change they offered simply would have no resonance within the Republican party. Their presentation as an alternative to the status quo, and to the promises of change being offered by the Democrats would have held little appeal. It was, though, Senator McCain's decision to make. Knowing well the outcome.

Failure, with dignity, pride and honour intact. Perhaps a soupcon of regret to tantalize future memories of what might have been. Instead, Senator McCain plucked out of obscurity a mercurial fireball of unknown provenance, a pitbull with lipstick whose social and political aggression and skill in elaborating upon her own political myth-making has launched her and her party into celebrity status, entrancing the American public.

In so doing Senator McCain chose, in the wisdom of his years and his notable experiences, to offer the Christian right a palatable initiate into the noble battle for hearts and minds, giving the tabloids and water-cooler set ample opportunity for the thrill of the chase and the gossip that underlies inconvenient revelations.

Interesting, and sadly predictable. 'Tis the way of the world.

Senator McCain offers the Christian right a candidate they can celebrate, an antidote to his own unfortunate civil-social and religious inadequacies. Surrendering his morals and long self-inculcated moderate approach to life's demands. Here is a political helpmeet who can call directly on God for guidance. One who has indeed been called upon by God to do His divine bidding.

Whose fervidly fervent prayers elicit divine response. God, in fact, is very close indeed to the American dream of private enterprise and public duty. Though the Founding Fathers, themselves adamant about the primacy of separate realms; the secularity of politics, the personal life-need of religion,the U.S. Treasury recognizes a different message: "In God We Trust".

It is God's will that Governor Sarah Palin deliver John McCain to the United States of America's presidency. If Governor Palin prays hard enough and long enough it will be God's will that may position her to represent womanhood as the Divine Spirit's highest Congressional representative. Her impressive confidence and belief in self and Saviour spell magic to an entranced public, amazed at the electricity of her presence.

Her own singularly prescient message: "Just be amazed at the umbrella of the church here, where God is going to send you from this church. Believe me, I know what I am saying - where God has sent me, from underneath the umbrella of this church, throughout the state."

The dementia of piety. Is this the ultimate solution?