The raising of the religious issue was not an aberration but one of the signs of an ugly retrogression in our times. During the confirmation hearings on the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court, Senator Dianne Feinstein asked him if being a Catholic would interfere with carrying out his duties as a justice.

Did she think that being Jewish interfered with carrying out her duties as a Senator? Had she forgotten that it was less than a century ago — not long as history is measured — when people objected to Louis Brandeis becoming a Supreme Court justice because he was Jewish?

. . .

While a resurgence of religious bigotry does not seem likely, what has aptly been called “the politics of personal destruction” — by one of its practitioners, Bill Clinton — has become a growing cancer on the body politic.

The significance of character assassination goes beyond a cynical ploy by politicians. Such ploys are effective only because they appeal to many people who cannot conceive of anyone opposing their political agenda without those political opponents being stupid, evil or corrupt.

In other words, many no longer consider it necessary to meet arguments with counter-arguments, evidence with counter-evidence or logical analysis with logical analysis to the contrary.