Barack Obama and John McCain made a joint appearance today, free from politics or partisan division. They also suspended their TV ads against each other. This temporary truce was inspired by the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US (which is today in the US). It was a right and fitting thing to do.
They walked down into the pit at “Ground Zero” together, they shook hands with relatives of victims, they laid flowers—all appropriate. Their tone separately was equally appropriate.
In Pennsylvania to commemorate the victims of United Flight 93, McCain said that the only way to thank the passengers who tried to take back the plain was to "be as good an American as they were," and he added, "We might fall well short of their standard, but there's honor in the effort.”
Obama said in a statement, "Americans across our great country came together to stand with the families of the victims, to donate blood, to give to charity, and to say a prayer for our country. Let us renew that." It recalled that time after the attacks that brought all Americans together, for a time, and which made the world stand in total solidarity with America, for a time.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden saluted the ordinary courage of the emergency services: "You suit up, head out on that vehicle not knowing what you're going to find. If, God forbid, anything remotely close to that happens, it's going to be you guys trying to save all of us." Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was home in Alaska seeing her son off to Iraq,
The candidates acted appropriately for the day, but afterward it’ll be back to the rough and tumble of the campaign. This is as it should be since it means the terrorists failed to destroy either the US or democracy.
That’s the first and last time I’ll be writing anything nice about the Republican candidates. But for one day even I can put aside partisanship.
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