Two Nations Under God

What was remarkable about John McCain's speech at the convention was that any time he even suggested the idea of bringing people together across party lines, the crowd always seemed to go a little cold. After several nights of the usual attack speeches, McCain, who can appeal to Americans on both sides, seems to be an outcast in his own party for suggesting unity.
This is in drastic contrast to Obama whose message of one country has drawn so many supporters from both ends of the spectrum. It's this positive message that has drawn me to support him.

In the past several days the Republican party seems to have gone right back to the "win by dividing" strategy that has come to define them for many years now. Gone are the days when the core message is smaller government, less burdensome taxes, free choice without government meddling, and market driven economics...all sound platforms. Now it seems those who hold these ideas as the true definition of the party have been pushed to the fringes.
The driving force of religious orthodoxy and the values narrative has taken over the party completely. And if you're not on board, you're the enemy. These were never McCain's primary messages, but with the selection of Palin and the stirring up of the sceptics, he appears to be buckling under the thumb of the religious base that drives the party. Today's McCain seems different from the McCain of six months ago.
I find this politics of division to be dangerous. It was the driving apart of ethnic and cultural groups for political gain that destroyed Yugoslavia. We've had many years of the politics of division. Is it possible for America to have it any other way?