" McCain is one of few Republicans willing to stand up for the American story."  Unfortunate that Brooks couldn't resist partisanship.  It is that very partisanship that provides the foundation of our currently dysfunctional political environment.  McCain is an American first, a republican second.  Whereas Brooks is apparently the opposite, i.e. a democrat first and an American second.  It is hard to imagine how the modern liberal came into being.  The liberals who view Americans first as members of their racial, ethnic, religious, or gender groups rather than as simply Americans.  The modern fake liberal is death to universality and solidarity.  Some day they will have all of us fighting between our little perceived groups, white supremacists, white males, feminists, blacks, illegal aliens, gays, and the list goes on.  Identity with the little group rather than as Americans.