If you’re anything like me you despise the angry side of politics and hope for America something better: a real discussion of the issues important to the future of our world. Faith in Public Life did the nation a great service last night with their Compassion Forum. It provided the candidates an opportunity to talk about their own beliefs – what makes them tick – and about their platforms. Of course, the ugly side of politics wasn’t absent. Senator Clinton made sure of that. But Barack Obama reminded me about why I sided with his candidacy in the first place. He sees politics as an opportunity not to tear people apart but to reconcile a divided nation and he has talked to me personally about his desire to make growing poverty levels an issue in the White House. As he said last night, he’d like to use his time in office to at least cut the poverty level in half. Senator Obama also has specific and progressive policy proposals on how to extend health care benefits and on how to improve education. He wants to end the war – a war Senator Clinton voted for – and to advance the fight against globe climate change. These are all issues that people of faith – Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists – care about. Senator Obama is offering America a hopefully vision of change and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to cast my vote in his favor.