Focus on the Positive

I know winning is important. But in the grand

scheme of things, I would much rather look back on November 2006 as the year
when the Democrats took back the House and the Senate because Americans trusted
us to change the direction of the country, than the year the Democrats won by
default because the Republicans screwed up.

It’s three
weeks into the semester, and it’s about time I get around to all that
schoolwork I had been putting off in order to study for the LSAT. But before I
get around to cracking open The Root Causes of Sudan’s Civil Wars, there’s
something I’ve got to say. Enough already.

Look, I
understand that what Representative Foley did not only flies in the face of
Christianity but is also morally wrong, not to mention illegal. I also
understand that this is a fantastic opportunity for Democrats to win over swing
voters and even disgruntled Republicans, especially those who are concerned
about “moral values,” for this crucial election, which is occurring
conveniently, less than a month away. And yes, I understand that if this
scandal had occurred on the other side of the aisle, Christian groups on the
right would be eating it up like candy. I even sympathize with the desire to
point out the hypocrisy of a party that prides itself on “family values” and
yet falls far short of its purported ideals. I might even have posted a thing
or two along those lines, if I hadn’t been in LSAT land when the scandal broke
out.

Yet as we
approach the one week mark, I wonder if it’s not time for Democrats to move on.
Call me idealistic, but I see the Democrats as a party of hope, a party that
can bring good news to a country torn by war, poverty and injustice. As we
might have learned on the playground in kindergarten, it’s always easy to unite
around a common enemy, but I would like to see Democrats take the higher ground
and rally around our common goal of lifting up the poor and the helpless,
rather than pointing fingers at those who made mistakes.

I know
winning is important. But in the grand scheme of things, I would much rather look
back on November 2006 as the year when the Democrats took back the House and
the Senate because Americans trusted us to change the direction of the country,
than the year the Democrats won by default because the Republicans screwed up. We’ve
made our statement on Foley. It’s time to start thinking about positive things,
for example, about the possibility that my generation’s emblem of hope – Barack
Obama – might run for president. Now that’s something to get excited about,
before I hit the books.