John McCain will certainly be missed. The Republic this Republican with big "R" fought for as a military and a senator is under stress test by the forces of incivility unleashed by the Trump presidency.
McCain minced no words to warn against the "half-baked nationalism" and its "blood and soil" dark undertones.
But while fighting his last battle against cancer, he scored two magnificent blows to those who have turned the Republican party against republican principles.
First, with his "no" vote on dashing the Obama healthcare act without proper debate and support -precisely the reason he opposed Obama's law as vehemently as Trump's: civility.
Civility in Congress matters maters. It's about following the original design of the Framers and a 250-year-old tradition of making key laws in a bipartisan way.
The difference between "Jacksonian democracy" or populism and a republic is precisely that. Popular vote is the ever-changing matter that must be opposed and controlled by Republican form and rule. That's the difference between "majority rule" and rule of law, between "democratic republics" (code name for dictatorships) and "republic of laws" that apply equally to everyone. Included the President of the United States, who's not the King of the United States, even when and if acting like one.
The second blow that McCain gave to those who want to skip the rule of law and rule by tweets was his own funeral, carefully orchestrated as the old senator and formidable campaigner McCain was, into a remarkable display of civility and bipartisanship.
President Bush and Obama were selected on purpose to speak and show how the Republic stands above party and -hopefully- in good health.
President Bush made special point in condemning hatred and bigotry against Latino immigrants and non-white people, as well as vulgar personal attacks and comments that demean the offices of the US as a Republic.
President Obama joined the display of civility, reminding how his political duels with McCain in both campaign and government helped him (and president Bush before him) to rise their game and check their own mistakes.
McCain had indeed his last hurrah and also his last laugh.
Perhaps this was not a funeral but a baptism.
Perhaps the public display of civility across the political spectrum and public officers -past and present- will help those who believe in our Constitution keep faith that the Union will prevail and come out of this uncivil war stronger than before.
Perhaps this is John S. McCain's lasting victory.
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