Your humble Blog Goliard did some late-night commenting last night over on the AmSpec blog, discussing McCain’s grace in defeat and the matter of courtesy to the new President.

Regarding the former, was that grace in defeat a bit too eager? I was glad to see Lisa Schiffren mention some very interesting remarks from the Fox News reporter on hand in Phoenix, who almost seemed to be hinting that McCain had come to see it as his duty to lose this one.

Isn’t such an inclination a close cousin of McCain’s famous bipartisan impulse? Isn’t this oddly common among Republicans in general (well, the ones who have been in D.C. for years anyhow), especially compared to Democrats? Or is it just partisan blinders that create this view?

To expand on the latter point as well—this dignity and honor thing is an issue I’m torn on. I want Republicans to play more fairly than their opponents, to be more gracious in defeat, to do more to uphold the civic compact whereby the winner is recognized promptly and without quibble, and allowed to govern. But I don’t want them to be chumps, whose motto and objective is “lose with dignity”, either.

If it were entirely up to me, for instance, well-qualified Supreme Court nominees would have expeditious and courteous hearings, and be confirmed with near-unanimity in the Senate, under both Democratic and Republican administrations. But it takes two parties to maintain such a tradition; and one of them has now spent 13 of the last 21 years tearing it apart.

It is now up to Senator McConnell and his troops to decide whether they return to their practice from the Clinton years (Ginsburg, ACLU lawyer and feminist activist, confirmed 96-3), or begin to treat Democratic nominees in the manner that Bork and successive Republican nominees were (Alito, Federalist Society member with bland non-activist career, confirmed 58-42).

The angel on one shoulder argues that two wrongs still do not make a right, and that Senate Republicans should conduct themselves with dignity, honor, and due respect for Obama’s mandate. The devil on the other shoulder calls this suicide—believing that it would be a temporary, cosmetic papering-over of the civility problem, rather than a step towards real solution; and that when the shoe was on the other foot, the Republican dove of peace would again be replaced by a Democratic mailed fist…amid cackling over how stupid and weak and foolish the Republicans had proven to be, once more.