Friday, January 4, 2008

Huckabee And Obama Take Iowa: A Sign Of Things To Come?

The victory of Sen. Barack Obama is a big moment for his party and for the nation. The fact that an African-American candidate won with such a significant margin of victory is historic. Sen. Obama just may have emerged as the symbol of a new political mood and national aspiration. The eloquence of his victory address surpassed that of any presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan, and much of it appeared to be extemporaneous.

On the Republican side, the result was less surprising but no less significant. The convincing victory won by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee instantly reshapes the Republican race. The Governor's victory speech was a very powerful demonstration of effective political communication. Gov. Huckabee has an undeniable ability to connect with voters, and his appeal was far wider than many had expected.

The rhetoric of the race -- and the rhetoric of many evangelicals -- is disturbing. This race is important and necessarily so. We are talking about the next President of the United States, after all. But evangelicals have invested far too much hope in the political process. No government can make people good, transform humanity, or eliminate sin. The political sphere is important, but never ultimate. Jesus Christ is Lord -- and He will be Lord regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.

You can read more here.
You can watch their speeches on the right here.

Some questions:
-What do you think about Albert Mohler's synopsis of the political sphere?
-How important should the political process be to American Christians?
-Was this the outcome you expected from Iowa?
-Does this change your vote?

1 comment:

Roland said...

Expected outcome? Yes.
I think it will be Obama vs. (hopefully) Huckabee.
Unfortunately, I think Obama will win. (Anti-Bush media-stirred sentiment)