I have always found the US Republican and Democratic Party Conventions to be a grand political tradition. They help fire up their supporters, introduce new rising political stars, share their policy plans with voters at large, and create excitement and energy in their politics. They generate a stylish buzz. As a former politico, I love watching them. I also wish we had something similar in our Canadian political world.
However, this year, the portraits that these conventions painted was most disturbing. What emerged, like never before, were two radically contrasting narratives of America. Testimony to a bitterly divided and polarized country, where people prefer their own tribe, readily dismissing, and demonizing the other side. These fractures have been building for a number of years but now, they’ve reached a rather dangerous threshold.
President Biden calls it an “inflection point”, and “a fight for the soul of the nation”. But it’s more than that. It also impacts their capacity to effectively lead the free world, and to be the kind of neighbour we desire, given the criticality of our relationship. It’s a precarious moment for the geopolitical landscape. People are closely watching how this all unfolds in the US, especially its adversaries.
These huge chasms must be bridged, for both domestic and global imperatives.........