In which a nation's leaders elect a people who can celebrate their holy vows and values

We are not electing a president; political elites are electing a people, or rather choosing for us our way of thinking about who we are. The only real question that the Democratic and Republican conventions attempt to answer is: What is it like to be an American? What are we, as a people, like? What do we care about, what are our commitments and values? And a rhetorical question whose answer is never in doubt: is it not extremely important that we all identify strongly with these values and objects of concern? 

And how do Americans want to see themselves, especially in a political season? As heroic men and women who love God, are super-patriotic, work extremely hard and make sacrifices, care ultimately about all the ultimately important things. And like heroes, live and die rightly, live to die with satisfaction, having lived for the right cause. 

Obviously, this is far more important than ideology and the candidates that get this most right can be expected to win. They will win as celebrities get attention to what they say, by modeling personality. The difference between celebrity performing artists and celebrity politicians is that artistic celebrities model creativity and political ones model moral rectitude. We will vote for the candidates we most want to identity with. All ideological and policy ideas must be tied to these grand themes that differ little between the parties, but that do not exactly represent the lives of ordinary Americans. Nostalgia is important here too. Pence's closing talk tonight was staged to look like a small town. Maybe America wants to become simple again. Those were the days.

America is not a film noir, a screwball comedy, or a horror film; it's a Western. Westerns are about heroes, and they are enjoyed by people who are not heroes but want to think they are. It’s about good guys and bad guys. May the best good guys win. Isn't it grand?