An Election of Firsts
This could be the most transformational election in years. The younger generation, which has cynically dismissed politics as useless, has been energized and engaged as never before. Even poor inner-city youth, usually disengaged from "public life," are excited about an election. Many Evangelicals and Catholics have redefined "moral" issues to include more than abortion and gay marriage, especially poverty and the environment. The economic crisis could open up a deeper national discussion about the relationship of democracy and the market, the need for new social regulation and self-regulation, and the reconnection of personal and social responsibility. And the election of Barack Obama would immediately change the image of America in the world.
Wallis is a Christian author, preacher and activist. He is president of Sojourners, a national network connecting faith and justice