John McCain's Final Legacy - Contrast.

The Great and the Good is a phrase often used to describe those who assemble at occasions such as the official memorial service for the late Arizona Senator, John McCain.

The service, held yesterday morning  at the  National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.,  had all the moments that you would expect  such an occasion to have.

 

Senator Joe Lieberman shared personal moments from his long friendship with McCain. Sharing stories of old friends ribbing each other, celebrating each others' successes and supporting each other through their failures.

Then Former Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger gave context to McCain's political career by giving us an eye witness view to how John McCain's  experiences in the Vietnam War shaped his character and his world view.

Then his two greatest political rivals, former Presidents George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, each took a turn sharing their thoughts on the legacy John McCain has left to our country. A legacy of duty, service, and sacrifice.

All these speakers, coupled with Megan McCain's  emotional tribute to her father,  provided what may turn out to be John McCain's final and potentially most impactful legacy. 

 Contrast between his view of America and that of the current occupant of the White House.

Saturday's service was nothing less than an American State Ocassision. As a nation, we have very few of these, by design. Our founding fathers rightly saw them as the trappings of Monarchy, steeped in the old world's quest for  empire.

So aside from the Inauguration of a President, and  Join Sessions of Congress. like the State of the Union, such State Occasions here,  tend to be few and far between. Yet when we do have them, they are pivotal moments in our National Life where we as a country come together in an expression of our shared American Values.

It is an awful fact, that the sitting President of the United States was not in any way
a suitable attendee for this occasion. That we as a people had to manage the risk that he would have detracted from those values, and instead would have sought to pull focus and attention from this National moment, and make it about himself.

It does not take a great deal of imagination  to picture that cringe-inducing performance.   One that would have undoubtedly focused on  the Electoral College score of 2016, accusations of "Fake News!",  and would have concluded with ridiculous claims, outright lies and even imagined quotes to claim how much the deceased hero, had really  admired him.  

It was for this reason, the sitting President of the United States was not welcome at this American State Occasion. Not out of partisan rancor,  but because he would have been incapable of rising to it.  

The contrast on display yesterday was , between two these two men.   One  who strived throughout his life to put service to country above self, and  the other, who  puts glorification of self above all else, including above country. 

I did not vote for John McCain when he ran for President. But I was always glad when the people Arizona returned him to the Senate. He was a fiery, at times unpredictable, but always principled American Statesman; whose life stands in sharp contrast to the insecure narcissist who will undoubtedly take to Twitter in the days to come, and prove that his exclusion yesterday, was truly warranted.

This contrast  tells us, and the rest of the world all we need ever know about the difference between the small petty individual golfing in VA, and the Man America collectively paused to remember.