the mutual respect of senator john mccain and governor sarah palin

The 2010 election cycle has illuminated the contrasts between so-called RINOs and “true” conservatives.  Thankfully, the beauty of our country’s electoral tradition enables and encourages competitive primaries within parties, allowing voters to determine who wins their trust. 

Along these lines, there is a healthy contest happening in Arizona between Senator John McCain and his challenger, JD Hayworth.  There are those within the Republican party who feel that Senator McCain is the less conservative of the two candidates, and he is, therefore, not their preferred choice to speak on their behalf in Washington, DC.  Alternatively, there are McCain supporters who believe that his experience and high-profile opposition to the current administration’s policies will continue to serve his constituents well.  Regardless of one’s views, it should be evident that these types of debates are healthy for our country and our political discourse.  And indeed it would seem that Governor Sarah Palin feels the same way.

The good Governor campaigned for her friend and former running mate in Arizona today, delivering her usual barnstormer of a speech.  She was energized, she was passionate, and she was clearly happy to be there on the Senator’s behalf.

To be sure, Governor Palin and Senator McCain do not agree on the means and methods of addressing every issue facing our nation.  However, the fact is that they both agree that we are moving in the wrong direction, and the only way to correct our course is to move back towards the philosophical center (certainly, how far each would go can be debated).  Ultimately, though, these two political giants share a mutual respect and friendship that unites them beyond any disagreements they might have.  And in the harsh political environment in which we find ourselves these days, it was wonderful to hear Senator McCain and Governor Palin today speak so warmly of one another. 

Neither had to say as much as they did, but as is evident from the video clip below, there is a special bond between these two politicians that allows them to be uninhibited in expressing the appreciation that they so clearly share for one another.

- tdc

*See Part I and Part III (Palin solo) of Greta Van Susteran’s interview