Building National Unity, One Rick Warren at a Time

Barack Obama's choice of Rick Warren to do the invocation prayer at his inauguration is a bitter pill that we should try our best to swallow.

Bush's biggest domestic debacle (yes, bigger than Katrina) was his failure to unite a nation bitterly divided along political, religious, and racial lines. This is true in spite of the unique opportunity he was given in the wake of 9/11 by a people resolved, practically begging, to be united.

The reason Bush failed was because he thought unifying people meant convincing opponents that they were wrong and that he was right. On issues as critical as education (evolution vs intelligent design), medicine (genome research), sexuality (gay rights), and war (justifying preemptive war), he simply did not compromise. That stance, of course, only deepened the gulf that divides us and solidified our partisanship. As a result, we are more divided then ever.

Rick Warren's stance toward gays and his views on a whole host of other issues run counter to core progressive principles. Most people reading this blog and probably Obama himself disagree with them. But the fact of the matter is that there are million upon millions who do not. To them, Warren's views are orthodox, they are correct.

By choosing Warren to do the invocation, Obama has decided to say to these very people, nearly 50% of Americans who sit on the other side of the political spectrum, I don't agree with you but I respect you and I'm willing to give you a place at the table. He's keeping his promise to "be their president too." This means more than just giving them tax cuts too. It's a much more profound and ultimately more difficult commitment to represent them and their views.

It's a whole new kind of politics. Obama sees that compromise is perhaps the most effective way to soften peoples' stances and to start a dialogue that might just lead to greater unity. If we really want to be a more perfect union, we need to take the difficult step of accepting that there are profound differences, attempt to tolerate them, and seek ways of finding common ground. Merely opposing them and trying to change the views of others would only be making the same mistake Bush made. And it would bring the same outcome.

But what do you think? Thanks for commenting.

PS: Incidentally, the web site of Warren's church has already taken down it's statement on gays! See, compromise has already begun to work in our favor.
PPS: And isn't it infinitely more Christian of Obama to tolerate opposing views?