“I’ve said repeatedly in this campaign that the president was my opponent and not my enemy, and I wish him well, and I pledge my support in whatever advances the cause of a better America because that’s what the race was about in the first place, a better America as we go into the next century.” – Bob Dole conceding the 1996 presidential race to Bill Clinton

I generally try to avoid being overly critical in this column about what people say.

Some people are able to string their words together more eloquently than others. Also, those who are often required to speak publicly are bound to make a mistake from time to time. A person’s actions are much more likely to be purposeful or intentional.

On the other hand, there are occasions when I think it is important to make an exception to the rule.

Alabama’s senior U.S. senator, Tommy Tuberville, made some comments on the Newsmax channel last week that worry me. His comments were in reference to the condition of the country after former President Donald Trump’s conviction in a New York state court for falsifying business records.

Tuberville said, “The American people need to wake up. This is a war. This is a war on our constitutional rights, our constitutional republic. This not as much about Donald Trump as it is about the people in this country.

“I don’t call us Republicans or Democrats anymore. You’re either for our great country, the way it’s been for the last 248 years, or you’re anti. You want to change it to how you want it to be.”

Using this kind of language is irresponsible and tap dances on the line of being dangerous.

Politics often has been a nasty exercise throughout our country’s history. As far back as the 1800 presidential election, Thomas Jefferson’s supporters promoted propaganda John Adams was a hermaphrodite while Adams’s supporters claimed if Jefferson was elected, Jefferson would support prostitution, incest and adultery, according to the National Constitution Center.

So while politics is not for the faint of heart nor is it often dignified, it is not a war. The people who are on the other side of the political spectrum, no matter which party you root for, are not your enemy and are not anti-American.

When you have a position of leadership, as Tuberville does, you have some ability to paint a landscape of how the world is and how it should be. At least some people will follow your lead because of the authority you possess as an office holder.

Using terms like war and anti-American can lead some people to believe winning at all costs is acceptable and maybe even necessary to preserve the country. If we are at war with anti-Americans, then many reckless options could be on the table. Extreme statements can lead to extreme actions.

Now let me add here that just because politics and controlling government do not rise to the level of war, this does not mean politics and government and your opinions and values concerning government are not important.

It is fine for Tuberville and for you to have concerns about the timing of this case going to trial in the middle of a presidential election several years after the alleged crimes took place. While I have no legal expertise, there appears to be some sentiment in the legal community these charges could be totally or partially dismissed by an appeals court.

It also is fine if you believe it is important for powerful people to be held accountable for alleged crimes whether or not they are running for office. The timing of this trial will not affect the presidential election, anyway. Few people’s opinion of Trump is likely to change based on this verdict, and the legal appeals process will probably extend past November.

Nevertheless, if you feel like one political party – or perhaps both political parties – are actively working toward destroying the country, I want to encourage you to step back and take a breath.

A big part of politics is to get people to have an emotional response either for a candidate or against a candidate. People who are moved by emotion are more likely to vote, donate to a candidate and get involved in a campaign instead of staying home on Election Day. However, emotion can also cause good people to behave irrationally and act or speak out of character.

We probably all should step back and take a breath here. There is a long way to go until November. No matter the winner, we all will still be living beside each other in 2025.