“Notes from a Red State” by Jeff Clayton

Rev. Jeff Clayton

During the long, well-contested Democratic primary, I was a supporter of Hillary Clinton. Unlike many pundits, I believe that the long, hard-fought, and close race between Barach Obama and Hillary Clinton is a sign of the strength and energy of the Democratic Party. The debate and thorough discussion of the vital issues facing our nation was invigorating to me. Now that the decision has been made, I am an enthusiastic supporter of Barach Obama and am working to see that he is the next President of the United States.

I am from Kansas, the epitome of a red state. When the time came for the Democratic caucuses in Kansas, I got in my car with my spouse and headed off to our caucus site, a medium-sized church near our home. It was a miserable night, with the temperature hovering near the freezing mark and a light rain falling. When we arrived at the site, I was astounded. The line of people in this red state of Kansas stretched out the building and around the corner and down the next street. We parked our car three blocks away and began to walk toward the church. As we walked to find the end of the line, we discovered that the line did not stop around the next corner but stretched on and on down several of the side streets. Waiting outside in the cold rain, more and more people joined the long line.

The truth is that the Democratic Party of Kansas was totally unprepared for the turnout on the night of the Democratic caucuses. The facility was woefully inadequate. As we talked in the line, the story was told that the local party officials had been queried about the adequacy of the space. They replied that it would be fine…that usually about 250 people showed up to caucus in our precinct. That night there must have been three…four…five thousand people standing in rain that turned to sleet to participate as Democrats in the process.

It was clear to me that most of the people in line were supporters of Barach Obama. It was also clear to me that at 51 years of age, I was one of the older people in line. All of the grass-roots organizers on the scene were from the Obama campaign…this was in Kansas no less! Countless people in their 20’s and 30’s were enduring the cold and the wet to make their voice heard. They were all there to support Obama. I cannot remember a candidate in my adult life who has energized younger voters the way that Barack Obama has done. For me, this is a sign of great hope. A generation of people who have many reasons to be apathetic and cynical about American politics are instead energized and working hard to make their voice heard. I think the pollsters and pundits are in for a surprise when the votes are counted!

It may be too much to believe that Barack Obama could actually win the perennially red state of Kansas. But hope springs eternal. So I am working to raise the voice of change and hope that our nation can truly live into our ideals, and I am strengthened by the knowledge that many other Kansans are energized to do the same.

The Rev. Jeff Clayton
Overland Park, Kansas

“The People Can” by Chaplain Emily Joye McGaughy

Chaplain Emily Joye McGaughy

It’s hard these days not to talk about Barack Obama as a messianic figure. It’s hard not to cast this election season as an apocalypse of sorts. It’s hard not to paint political parties as righteous and evil. It’s hard to keep politics and religion in their respective corners. The last 8 years have brought mass deception, war, flooded cities, a devastated economy, renewed racism, alienation from once-upon-a-time allies, etc etc etc. The list is too long to recount. Our Bible, the hebrew scriptures and second testament, document times just like these. One looks into the prophecies of old, Isaiah and Ezekiel in particular, finding contemporary parallels to the “valley of dry bones” and the promised “new thing.”

We want the death and destruction to end. We want true repentance in this land: a turning around from policies of narrow-mindedness and greed to acts of restoration and promise. We want to believe in the goodness of our leaders, our communities, our nation. So we survey the options, and for some of us, it’s abundantly clear which presidential candidate evokes dry bones imagery and which one represents the remnant of life breaking through deadwood. We have seen hard times. It’s easy to think Barack Obama is the answer.

But Barack Obama is not G*d. He does not have the power of G*d, the goodness of G*d, the foresight and insight of G*d or the ever-living, ever-loving heart of G*d. As a clergy person, it is always my responsibility to keep Ultimate Reality in mind. I must admit: Barack Obama isn’t it. He is not our savior. If he gets elected and does the best of work yet to be done in the US Oval Office, he will remain just a man and he will return to dust. The hopes and struggles of this universe did not begin with Barack Obama, they do not exist for Barack Obama, and they will surely outlive his precious, yet numbered days. It’s hard to keep Barack Obama’s humanness in mind when he is speaking. With a preacher’s presence, a lawyer’s grit, a community organizer’s enthusiasm–he sounds like angels singing compared to the cacophonous cords of Bush’s Washington. But let us not be fooled: the gifts of G*d for the people of G*d always come from more than one direction, usually spring up in places where no one is looking, and generally come from ordinary commoners, not Harvard graduates with political charisma.

And that is exactly why I am voting for Barack Obama. Because he gets that. He gets that it’s not about him. When asked by Oprah Winfrey “Are you the one we’ve been waiting for?” Barack responded by saying “I’m one of the ones we’ve been waiting for.” He gets that if change happens it’s because everyone gets on board. His campaigning style embodies inclusivity: he wants each one to give as much as they can. Green people sign up. Constitutional loyalists get on board. Artists are involved. Musicians are involved. Activists are involved. Young people abound. Techno types blog and share articles on Facebook. Black, brown, white, poor, rich, queer, Muslim, Catholic, athiest–they get together to make phone calls, to sign up voters, to host campaign parties. People care about what’s happening. It is an exciting movement to behold!

A good society is an involved society. A good society is a motivated society. A good society sweats, mourns and celebrates together. Obama’s leadership encourages such involvement, motivation and togetherness. That is why this clergy woman will vote Obama & Biden in November. Not because Obama will save us, but because he knows The People can.

Chaplain Emily Joye McGaughy
Oakland, CA