....pure politics is not substitute for leadership....

Opinion echo published in Atlanta.com by Dana Hall McCain.
"...don’t entirely romanticize the leaders of old. They were deeply flawed in their own ways. But they did seem to understand that one of the essentials to our survival as a nation was resisting the urge to flagrantly demonize our fellow citizens.."- Dana Hall McCain

James Mattis, a lifetime of service, from fighting in the Marine Corps to working for President Donald Trump. "I was..... in my hometown on the Columbia River in Washington state when I received an unexpected call from Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Would I meet with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss the job of secretary of defense?" (Wall Street Journal)

Opinion echo in Atlanta.com:  James Matttis, his words and perspective were principled, informed, and stated without a hint of partisanship. I was sad because this kind of leadership seems almost extinct.

My children cannot imagine a world where people holding the highest offices in the land don’t communicate like mean middle schoolers.

They don’t know about the America where there were certain lines we did not cross, for the sake of national unity.

For the sake of individual decency!

A clear-eyed account of learning how to lead in a chaotic world, by General Jim Mattis—the former Secretary of Defense and one of the most formidable strategic thinkers of our time—and Bing West, a former assistant secretary of defense and combat Marine.

Moreover, they haven’t had the benefit of observing national debate that stays focused on policy, and doesn’t wander off into personality.
I don’t entirely romanticize the leaders of old. They were deeply flawed in their own ways. But they did seem to understand that one of the essentials to our survival as a nation was resisting the urge to flagrantly demonize our fellow citizens, fracturing ourselves to a point where we are less equipped to do battle with those who would truly seek to do us harm around the globe.

They seemed to understand that the kind of debate that produces sustainable consensus requires restraint and self-discipline.
Our descent down this slippery slope didn’t happen overnight. The trend toward least-common-denominator appeals in campaigns has built over the decades, and was doused in jet fuel in the digital age. But until very recently, elected leaders acknowledged (in practice, if not in word) the necessity of rhetorically shifting gears upon taking the oath of office.

Once elected, a person must seek ways to lead and foster trust with all Americans—even those with whom he has serious disagreements.

And, as Gen. Mattis points out in his eloquent essay, it is also essential that we conduct ourselves in a way that preserves and strengthens relationships with our allies around the globe. We don’t have the luxury of self-indulgent shooting from the hip on the world stage.

Not if we are anything other than fools.

Style matters. Posture matters. Tone matters. Credibility matters.

How did citizens who used to understand these things intuitively come to disregard them so fully? I have my theories. Most of them lay a full helping of blame at the feet of political commentators who figured out how to monetize our fears, both left and right. 

They learned that if they shrieked on the radio, or on TV, or online about the threats that exist around us, you would show up. Some out of morbid curiosity and some out of genuine concern. And then only by magnifying those threats—many of which had some element of reality to them—could they keep you around.

And keeping you around kept the advertisers around. Always follow the money to learn the truth.

They conditioned us over time to believe that anyone who presented a nuanced, less-than-hysterical take on things was part of the problem: a “cuck,” a RINO, or a closet fascist in Democrat clothing. They taught us that there are only two kinds of Americans—those on our team, and those we need to vanquish.

They preached to us that the cultural change taking place before our very eyes started in Washington and could be fixed there. That was more palatable than telling us the truth: that it started in our living rooms, and would require a heck of a lot more of us than political activism to remedy.

But every, once in awhile, we are fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the way things should be in the form of a man like Gen. Mattis (who humbly insists that he’s just “Jim”, since retiring). 

In fact, the question is: do we have the character and self-discipline to seek out and elevate men like him—leaders—over common politicians?

Echo post script from Maine Writer- Is there a call for James Mattis to challenge Donald Trump in 2020?