When Voting In 2022 Think About 1912, Warren Harding’s Words About Character Still Echo

President Reagan gave a 4-minute, 648-word speech on the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger

Character matters when it comes to who we cast a ballot for in the mid-terms.

I read the 1912 nomination speech from Warren G. Harding, then an Ohio newspaper editor, on behalf of President William Taft at the Republican Convention. The following portion showcases one of those moments where we put into stark notice the type of person with certain qualities we desire in elected officials.

The nomination speech declared that Taft was “as wise and patient as Abraham Lincoln, as modest and dauntless as Ulysses S. Grant, as temperate and peace-loving as Rutherford B. Hayes, as patriotic and intellectual as James A. Garfield, as courtly and generous as Chester A. Arthur, as learned in the law as Benjamin Harrison, as sympathetic and brave as William McKinley……”

We need a lot of things in our country today, but I argue there is nothing we need more than elected officials grounded in logic, who have the ability to empathize, and able to use words from their office to bring a nation together during times of crisis.  Governors, members of the House, and the Senate simply must have those skills and character traits.

I was on-air at WDOR the night President Reagan spoke to the nation following the horrific explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. In my lifetime there is perhaps no other speech that so clearly demonstrates the role of a president at times of national crisis, or the heights of rhetorical balm that can come with the office.  I sat in the broadcast studio and was moved to tears.  Contrast national moments such as that one to the current chaos and bombast from elected officials across the nation who continually stoke the anger and resentments of people for partisan advantage.

Perhaps no other example can be given of how far removed our nation has drifted from reason and being humane than when a nominee for president made fun of a disabled journalist.  It was a truly pathetic display. Nothing like that had ever occurred before. After being called out for the horrible behavior the nominee failed to offer comforting words, but instead petulantly defended himself on Twitter.  It was almost unbearable to watch play out on the national stage. 

The lack of such empathy allowed some of his lowbrow followers to bring down a withering barrage of abuse on the journalist.  The purpose of using this example is to show how vital it is to have solid leadership grounded in morals and a strong character when we cast our votes for those who wish to have such responsibility in our government.  There are consequences for the nation when we allow the lowest common denominator into public offices. Voters require good role models for society to emulate. The behavior of a large segment of the electorate today can be traced back to 2015 and the election results of 2016.

Character matters.  We say those words often but also take the concept for granted.  When the lack of character is so obvious and smacks at us daily, it becomes a reminder of how much this nation lost over the last six years. This year we must do what is right for the nation when we cast ballots in the mid-terms.  We must do so for our collective national soul. Voters can talk about their values or religious faith, but this is the time to prove all that is more than just mere words. After all, the idea of virtue is one that requires our diligence.

The idea of virtuous people in government was not lost on the Founders. They wrote and spoke of its worthiness repeatedly. Good character matters, and as individuals, we have a role to make sure the person sitting in the office of governor, or either chamber of congress is as solid and good as the people across this land. In our republic, we have a responsibility to promote honest leaders in office who will make wise, fact-based decisions. When they fail at that most fundamental requirement of the office the voters must hold them accountable.