Barack Obamessiah?

An unidentified couple watches as Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama delivers his speech at the Democratic National Convention. Photo by Barry Guiterrez/AP

Presidential campaigns are an interesting thing. Every four years we get to listen to everyone talk about the pains of the past and the hopes of tomorrow. Candidates from both sides call out to the public in a way that makes it sound like the world is going to end unless they are elected.

I know it’s propaganda and marketing, aimed at tugging our heart strings in an effort to move us out of our seats and into the voting booth. I watched the Democratic National Convention every night this week - for the first time in my life. I actually enjoyed it. Good speeches pretty much all around. I plan on doing the same thing for the Republican convention next week. I want to hear what the candidates have to say.

That being said, though, there is an entirely other level of experience happening this week and next. It can be seen as the cameras pan out and focus on the faces of the people that are there. It is heard in the voices around the water cooler in offices across America. People who are emotional and passionate - sometimes vehemently so - about what is happening in the political sphere right now. I saw people weeping on television last night while Obama was making his acceptance speech at the DNC.

I talked with my boys, 8 and 10, this morning as we were watching a little bit of Barack’s speech, and explained to them how we will hear this week and next the ‘pie in the sky,’ American euphoria that comes with political conventions during presidential election seasons. How we will hear promises which won’t be kept from both sides in reality. And about how there are a lot of people who are looking to these men and women to bring them hope - hope that they will likely not find realized no matter who is elected.

It is misplaced hope in men and in a political system we invented. I told them, “God alone can give them hope - not men.”

Posted 08.29.2008

Sorry. Commenting is no longer available for this post. In most cases, you may leave comments up to 30 days from the time a post is published.