For the past several months, candidates have been interviewing with the American people for what is without a doubt the most important, most critical job in the world.
Employers routinely consider an applicant’s character, even for the most menial job.
In a weekend New York Times column, “All the Demons Are Here,” Maureen Dowd starkly and exhaustively documents how one of the candidates for the presidency of the United States “simply has no character,” neither in his private nor in his public life.
Many Donald Trump supporters try to rationalize, “normalize,” Trump’s numerous serious character flaws. They insist that Trump’s character pales in importance when compared to what their candidate allegedly can do for their pocketbook, for halting “the poisoning the blood of our nation,” towards “getting things done.”
But perhaps the most cynical attitude seen expressed on the eve of the elections is that Trump’s morality and character flaws are already “baked in.” Even his bigotry.
I refuse to believe such.
Our democracy is not a cake being baked. If so, lack of character would never be an ingredient in our recipe for a democracy.
Some things are much more important than a man’s wealth, charisma, machismo. The character of our president, our commander in chief, ranks high among them.
One of the Founding Fathers, in a speech at the Virginia Ratifying Convention in June of 1788, addressed virtue, the foundation of character, in a way that is still pertinent 246 years later.
Arguing against the naive idea that the people can consistently expect “nothing but the most exalted integrity and sublime virtue” from government officials, Thomas Madison suggests that “the people will have virtue and intelligence to select men of virtue and wisdom.”
Madison expressed hope that “there be sufficient virtue and intelligence in the community, it will be exercised in the selection of these men. So that we do not depend on their virtue, or put confidence in our rulers, but in the people who are to choose them.”
America is still conducting “the great experiment” that started 248 years ago. An experiment that will continue to play out for the good of humanity, but only if we are wise in choosing men and women of virtue and wisdom — of character — to continue to lead the great experiment.
For those who have not yet decided which applicant to hire, character must be foremost on their minds as they cast their vote. For character still matters…this election more than ever.
