Annointed by history...

With the presidential campaign in its final weeks and Barack Obama widening his lead in the polls in the wake of the national financial crisis, the John McCain camp is getting more and more desperate to knock off their seemingly imperturbable opponent. Journalist Mark Halperin reports that McCain must hope to use tonight's final debate to create some kind of embarrassing moment by "forcing an error, exposing a flaw or unattractive trait, or revealing an inconsistency or weakness - which would then be replayed incessantly on the airwaves, rapaciously dissected by the media, and seized upon by the public." The McCain campaign, to their credit, knows what they're up against. McCain Senior Campaign Strategist Nicole Wallace told the media recently, "Well, look, it's like running against God."

Back in early September at the Republican National Convention (before the inaugeration of "Obama for Jesus," before the federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and before Sarah Palin ever met Katie Couric) John McCain tried to draw contrast between himself and Barack Obama saying, "I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has annointed me to save our country in its hour of need."

Imagine that, being annointed by history to save your country! The McCain camp has repeatedly tried to discredit the Obama camp by portraying the senator as merely a celebrity of great personal appeal, who's charisma has blinded people from his lack of experience and ability, and who pompously promotes himself as a messianic savior. Well, what I'd like to know is do the Republicans discredit Jesus for proclaiming "no one comes to the father but through me," or "I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture," or "the one who drinks of the water that I provide will not be thirsty again?"

But perhaps McCain has something right. The office of the President may not be the place for a God-like Messiah. In McCain's acceptance speech at the RNC he went on to say, "Friends if you find faults with our country make it a better one, if you're disappointed with the mistakes of government join its ranks and work to correct them; enlist in our armed forces, become a teacher, enter the ministry, run for public office, feed a hungry child, teach an illiterate adult to read, comfort the afflicted, defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better and you will be the happier because nothing brings greater happiness than to serve a cause greater than yourself." With these words McCain forces us to wonder, are we saved by good deeds or by grace? Furthermore (after our critical side questions how John McCain's voting record has helped reduce hunger, illiteracy, affliction and oppression) we may ask whether electing Barack Obama relieves us of our responsibility to "comfort the afflicted" and "defend the rights of the oppressed?

Journalist Kathleen Geier decided to support Barack Obama in the primaries even as she became wary of the zeal of some Obama supporters. "But he's not Jesus!" she wrote, "He's not going to magically enable us to transcend the bitter partisanship that is tearing this country apart." Well, I must admit that that is a tough pill to swallow. Let's be clear about our history, however. Jesus did not transcend bitter partisanship. "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth;" he said, "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household." Barack Obama, therefore, must continue to stand up for what's right, comforting the afflicted and defending the oppressed, inspiring the people to see a new heaven and a new earth, preaching the peace of God even as he is persecuted for righteousness, and (preferably) remaining imperturbable, poised, and confidant in tonight's debate.