Negative campaigning is so out of hand that even Karl Rove is complaining about it.  In that context Paul Raushenbush writes today about the need to hold on to hope:

I became an Obama supporter because his candidacy and vision for America filled me with a feeling that no politician in my lifetime had inspired - hope. The hope that fueled my support for Senator Obama to be elected president was not sunny corporate optimism or dreamy utopian fantasy, but rather a desire to have a leader who would demand of me that I join with my fellow citizens and work together for the common good for all....

....Let's remind people why Barack Obama was such a compelling candidate to us 18 months ago. Let's reclaim Hope as a rallying call. Hope is a decision we make about the world and our perspective on it. Let's proclaim loudly that we continue to believe that unity will overcome division, hope will overcome fear, that America has an extraordinary future and that Barack Obama is the person who is best suited to lead us into this next century and to bring us together as a nation. Let's hold on and commit to hope as our compass. And even if the election does not turn out the way I want it to this time, I sincerely hope that I will continue to represent my belief in unity, in common good and work for a better future for all in America. I will vote my hope in November, and live my hope every day.

Click here for Paul's full post.

Paul is the Associate Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University.  We both attended the Democratic National Convention and heard Senator Obama's historic acceptance speech.