Daniel McCarthy: Let the spirit of Christmas heal our wounds after a bruising political year
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year — especially in an election year.After eleven months of war between Democrats and Republicans, including weeks for the defeated side to mourn the results, Christmas is a season when everyone can rejoice.For Christians, Jesus’ birth is more important than any political battle.The Christmas spirit has something for people of every belief and background, however: It’s a time to cherish family and reflect on peace and goodwill toward all.Our politics, and the world, needs that spirit more than ever.Letting go of the hatreds built up over a bruising election cycle isn’t easy, and it can feel like betraying a cause you’ve spent months or years fighting for.But Christmas is a time of truce, and for the sake of peace among nations, it’s a time for hostilities at home to cease.The New Year kicks off full of peril and promise, from Ukraine to the Middle East.It won’t be easy, but the incoming administration has a chance to bring an end to years of bloodshed.Even many of President Trump’s critics concede his first term was an era of comparative tranquility, marked by the success of the Abraham Accords and a new seriousness on the part of NATO allies to meet their obligations for defense spending.Like Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan before him, Trump was able to engage in bold diplomacy because America’s opponents were afraid to underestimate him, and they knew his doctrine wasn’t to avoid conflict at any price but to keep peace through strength.Today the world is a far more dangerous place than it was when Trump left office, and restoring the peace will require more goodwill at home.Sen.John Fetterman (D-Penn.), who is fast becoming the Democratic Party’s conscience, voiced the right spirit Sunday, saying he wasn’t “rooting against” the incoming president. “If you’re rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation.
And I’m not ever going to be where I want a president to fail...