high road
I want to address these next words directly to President George W. Bush: In the weeks ahead, let's be optimists, not just opponents. Let's build unity in the American family, not angry division. Let's honor this nation's diversity; let's respect one another; and let's never misuse for political purposes the most precious document in American history, the Constitution of the United States.My friends, the high road may be harder, but it leads to a better place. And that's why Republicans and Democrats must make this election a contest of big ideas, not small-minded attacks. This is our time to reject the kind of politics calculated to divide race from race, group from group, region from region. Maybe some just see us divided into red states and blue states, but I see us as one America – red, white, and blue. And when I am President, the government I lead will enlist people of talent, Republicans as well as Democrats, to find the common ground – so that no one who has something to contribute will be left on the sidelines.--John F. Kerry氏の民主党全国大会での指名受諾演説(http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_0729.html)より「幹線道路、主要道路、本街道」という意味だが、比喩的に用いて「王道、最上の道、確実な道、倫理的に正しい道」といった意味になる。上のKerry候補のスピーチでは「倫理的な道」ぐらいの意味か。具体的には、個人攻撃などのネガティブな選挙戦ではなく、政策議論などの本来の選挙戦を意味しているようだ。take the (moral) high roadという言い方もある。LDOCEによると、これはアメリカ用法らしい。例としては次のようなものがある。Peirsol, normally the picture of Southern California cool, rushed over to reporters just after his own semifinal heat of the 100 backstroke."It's just ridiculous. There's nothing you can do about it. Somebody needs to say something. No one else will tell you…. He has Brendan's medal," said Peirsol, the reigning world champion in the 100 and 200 backstrokes.Peirsol was watching the race with Ian Crocker, and Peirsol said they were stunned to see the underwater shot, saying that Kitajima took advantage of the judges' inability to see the illegal kick.U.S. men's Coach Eddie Reese said there was no avenue for appeal on a judgment call, adding, "There was no whistle, there was no foul."Hansen took the high road: "I didn't swim my race. I swam his race."-- Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/swimming/la-sp-olyswimside16aug16,1,633945.story?coll=la-olympics-swimming)