Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

On February 10, 2007 Barack Obama stopped by Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, IA to launch his presidential campaign. He made an important statement then that I think we need to remember today. He said:

“People ask me, ‘Who is your most important rival in this campaign? I would say it is cynicism. And I mean that because if people are opting out of the process, that benefits the insiders.’”

You can see the 2-minute video here.

Now, 20 months later, with 17 days left in this campaign, we see the most bitter of cynicism in its ugliest forms:

• Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann called for an investigation of members of Congress to "find out if they are pro-America or anti-America."
  
• The Sacramento GOP released an ad declaring “Waterboard Obama.”
  
• Another GOP group in California released a graphic of Obama’s picture on a foodstamp along with pictures of watermelon, fried chicken, ribs and Kool-Aid.
  
• Virginia State GOP Chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick recently encouraged a crowd of canvassers by drawing a connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: "Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," he said. "That is scary."
  
• John McCain’s campaign is robocalling into several states saying “Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers.”

In this environment it is easy become distracted.

When Lincoln was elected he was deeply loathed by the Southerners and viewed with suspicion by many Northerners. The south was just days from seceding from the union. And yet in this cynical environment, Lincoln closed his inaugural address by appealing to “the better angels of our nature.”

We don’t have to fall into this trap. We don’t have to be caught up in the Republican’s fake rage machine whether they are raging over ACORN or lipstick on a pig. We can remain above the fray.

In the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, we used to sing the song “Keep your Eyes on the Prize.” That’s good advice for us today. With merely 17 days to go, let’s keep our eyes on the prize and not be distracted by the noise.