Speaking of Politics

Yes, I watched Sarah Palin's speech last night. Yes, I'm impressed with her poise and comfortable demeanor. Yes, I find her "hockey mom" approach to politics refreshing.

But I also watched Obama's speech from the Democratic convention. And let's be honest: they're both excellent, impressive communicators. (And with all the media flurry around Palin this week, it's easy to forget that she's not the prime candidate for consideration, isn't it?)

Yet, as impressive as these two speeches were, I remain disappointed with the ugly "attack dog" elements of both campaigns. And I fear it's only going to get worse. Oh, sure, I understand why they're jumping all over each other. Stirring up the voting base, capturing the attention of the media with clever and memorable sound bites, trying to direct attention to the flaws of a political opponent -- they're all necessary tactics for getting elected at the national level these days. Obama sought to attack with a sense of "you and I are buddies at the water cooler" approach, and Palin fired back with a "wink and a nod over a cup of coffee" charm. But it's mudslinging, no matter how delightful and entertaining the speaker might be.

However, in the midst of this long, tedious, ugly campaign season, there is at least one clear moral contrast that continues to present itself: the priceless value of all human life. In the interviews with Rick Warren, McCain was concise and clear regarding his understanding of the beginning of life at conception, while Obama made a joke about the topic being above his pay grade. In her acceptance speech (and obviously in her life choices) Palin made it clear that all life has value -- whether it's her "perfect" baby boy who will struggle with disabilities, or her teenage daughter's unexpected and unborn child (I'm impressed by the Palin's commitment to supporting their daughter through all this). But in Obama's acceptance speech, he commented that we should all be able to agree on the need to reduce unwanted pregnancies even if we disagree on the issue of abortion.

And suddenly I feel this outrage growing in me. Abortion is not a simple political issue. We're talking about the slaughter of 1.37 million babies in the United States every year as a matter of convenience! (That's just a fraction of the 42 million abortions performed worldwide every year.) This isn't a political issue; it's a horror of unimaginable proportions. And, to be honest, the thought of empowering any individual for the Presidency who might further this slaughter of the sacred turns my stomach.

Whether or not we should drill for oil domestically is a political issue. Directing targeted tax cuts to different segments of society to stimulate the economy is a political issue. Defining the most effective diplomatic -- and even military -- strategies to promote freedom and keep the world safe is a political issue. There are lots of political issues on the table right now in which opposing candidates are suggesting radically different solutions. I truly believe that the individuals on both tickets have a sincere desire to promote domestic prosperity and ensure international peace, even if they're proposing going about it in totally different ways.

But the preciousness of human life is not a political issue. (And, by the way, I'm not just thinking of abortion here, even though it is probably the clearest lithmus test between the candidates right now. This issue of the sacredness of life extends to the way we use our military abroad and the true motives of our endeavors in the Middle East right now. I am fully aware that this is a very complicated issue.) For me, I've decided that moral issues like these easily trump political issues. Ending the slaughter of innocents easily trumps breaking free of dependency on foreign energy sources. Protecting life easily trumps economic stiumulus tax strategies.

Oh, sure, there are plenty of other issues that involve matters that I consider sacred -- social justice for the oppressed and opportunity-deprived, parental rights to be the primary influencers of their children, being peacemakers in a dangerous world without adding to that danger or forcing ourselves upon the innocent because of economic motivations, preserving God's definition of marriage with a sense of authentic compassion for others, ensuring the freedom to communicate truth without fear, and so on. These are the issues that matter the most to me, no matter how opinionated I might be on what would be the best strategy for economic stimulus, creating jobs, and creating prosperity for the long-term. The issues that touch on matters of righteousness are the ones that define how I choose to vote.

It saddens me that the national media just doesn't get it. It saddens me that our political leaders often don't get it. I'm just hoping that the average guy on the street gets it. And I'm praying that the community of grace gets it, embraces it, promotes it, and invests ourselves in protecting it, empowering it, and securing it for our nation in the voting booths.

(And, yes, I still hate politics. I'm looking forward to this season being over in a couple of months.)