Michael Gerson penned an op-ed in the Washington Post today titled “Why McCain Endures,” which sites the senator’s support for ONE Vote ‘08.

An excerpt:

“McCain has argued that the “protection and promotion of the democratic ideal” is the “surest source of security and peace.” He calls for a “League of Democracies” that would “relieve human suffering in places such as Darfur, combat HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, fashion better policies to confront environmental crises. …” And McCain is one of the strongest Republican supporters (along with Huckabee) of the commitments of the bipartisan ONE Campaign to treat global AIDS, eradicate malaria, fight hunger and provide clean water in the poorest places on Earth. (By way of disclosure, I sit on the advisory board of ONE Vote ‘08.)

This kind of foreign policy idealism has been reaffirmed, not because it is wildly popular but because it is unavoidable. America faces a series of challenges — from terrorism to drug cartels to infectious disease — that take root in failed regions of the world. Our efforts to oppose despair and disorder have a very realistic purpose. The tradition of moral internationalism — which reaches back to Roosevelt, Kennedy and Reagan — is more necessary than ever. And it is durable enough to survive some serious, early mistakes in Iraq.

The lessons of the McCain resurrection run deeper than the limits of talk radio: Candidates of unity are more appealing and electable. American ideals are indispensable in the conduct of American foreign policy.

If you have an online subscription to the Washington Post, you can read the full version here – or you can also read it on the blog “Real Clear Politics” here.

-Virginia Simmons