Rand Paul spoke at Berkeley, for example, seeking common ground with the university's mostly-progressive students.
Bernie Sanders traveled to Liberty University where most students and faculty disagree with his positions on gay marriage and abortion. "I came here today," he said, "because I believe from the bottom of my heart that it is vitally important for those of us who hold different views to be able to engage in a civil discourse."
Other candidates, by contrast, have fueled division. Ben Carson has said being gay is a choice. "A lot of people who go into prison straight and when they come out they're gay," he says, "so did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question."
Carson has also argued that Muslims should not be allowed to become President. I "would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation."
Donald Trump, meanwhile, has charged that Mexican immigrants are "bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists."
Trump has lashed out at those who he charges come to America to give birth, so that their children will be, in his term, "anchor babies" -- arguing that "we have to start a process where we take back our country. Our country is going to hell."
And after one of his followers charged that Muslims "have training camps growing where they want to kill us," and asked Trump "when can we get rid of them?" Trump didn't demur. He said "a lot of people are saying that" and "we're going to be looking at that."
Nor has Trump inspired the best in his followers.
At one recent rally, after Trump denigrated undocumented workers, his supporters shoved and spit on immigrant activists who had shown up to protest. At other Trump rallies his followers have shouted at Latino U.S. citizens to "go home" and yelled "if it ain't white, it ain't right."
Trump followers have told immigrant activists to "clean my hotel room, b*tch." They've beaten up and urinated on the homeless, and and joked "you can shoot all the people you want that cross illegally."
America is the only democracy in the world where anyone can declare himself or herself a candidate for the presidency -- and, armed with enough money, possibly even win.
Which makes it all the more important that we distinguish leaders from demagogues.
The former ennoble our society. The latter degrade and endanger it -- even if they lose.
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