Negativity

Palin accuses Obama of being buddy buddy with "terrorists." She digs up the Reverend Wright controversy again. Obama fires back with a Keating Five "documentary" on his website.
It sure is riveting. And makes me kinda sick.

First of all, people in glass houses and all that. The left-leaning media folks quickly pointed out that the feisty little governor is married to a guy who belonged to a group of secessionists. Apparently they weren't too crazy about the US either, huh, Governor? And then there's that video clip of Sarah Palin at her church, where the minister who is an important part of her spiritual life began his career banishing witches. Really.

Let me be fair - the Obama campaign's sludge tossing doesn't please me any better. They are, according to reports, only putting the Keating docu-drama on their website, not buying ad time. So the assumption is it's more of a warning shot across the McCain campaign's bow. "Don't mess with us - we know how to play that game, too."

But really. Who has time for this? I have a cousin who has watched a lifetime of savings evaporate in less than a week. The woman behind the local grocery counter was wondering what the hell she's supposed to do - her daughter is 16 and the money they were saving for her college tuition was in the stock market. Gone.

C'mon Barack. Get a clue, John. This country is in very, very bad shape and we're desperately hoping you can pull us together long enough to lead us out of the mess we're in. A mess we're ALL in, no matter what your political philosophy.

I admit I don't hold out much hope for Senator McCain. He seems angry. He's checked his convictions at the campaign door and is flip flopping around hoping to find a position that might help us forget that he's part of the party that led us here.

Senator Obama, you had it right when you began. Take the high road. Fire back if you must, since weakness is not something you can show to a highly tuned political eating machine. But don't wallow in it. Hold your head up, look toward the future and get the rest of us to look with you. We are a country that needs to believe in ourselves again. You've proved you have the ability to sell us on hope - that's what got you here. And now, more than at any time in this campaign, that message is the one that matters.

Because if we lose hope, this is going to be a very dark time indeed.