Hope vs. Cynicism

During the Democratic National Convention in Boston, Senate Candidate Barack Obama of Illinois said:

In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope? John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope. I’m not talking about blind optimism here—the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t talk about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. No, I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. The audacity of hope! (bold italics my own)

Uplifting isn't it. It is statements and beliefs like this that make me proud to be a liberal and a Democrat.

Well last night at the Republican National Convention, the "compassionate conservatives" struck back. I have to give it to the Republicans; they never let a message of hope go un-criticized.

Lt. Gov. Michael Steele of Maryland said:

We heard one word over and over again at the Democratic Convention: Hope.

But there is a problem, my friends: Hope is not a strategy. Hope doesn't protect you from terrorists, hope doesn't lower your taxes, hope doesn't help you buy a home, and hope doesn't ensure quality education for your kids. (bold italics my own)

That's not quite as uplifting, is it. No, not uplifting at all. In fact, you know what it is? THAT'S RIGHT...it is a shining example of the "politics of cynicism!"

Although I've said it many times, it's worth saying again: Compassionate Conservatives Strike Again.