:: in.a.mirror.dimly :: A theology and culture blog with the Bible in one tab and a news feed in the other.

Speeches are lovely things. There may be no greater orator in America than Barack Obama at this point, and he can sure deliver a fine speech. While listening to his address last night in Minnesota, I kept thinking of that scene in Braveheart where William Wallace has just delivered his masterful speech that will propel his rag tag troops into battle against England’s northern army. He returns back to the ranks and his slightly insane partner from Ireland says, “Fine speech. Now what do we do?”

It was kind of a deflating moment. Amidst all of the chanting, cheering, and brandishing of weapons, the fact remains that Wallace only delivered a “fine speech.” He hadn’t won anything or accomplished much. He had merely gotten his men in the mood to die for their country. Nothing to sneeze at no doubt, but still… it was just a speech.

Obama made a lot of great points last night. Points that I agree with such as:

“What you won’t hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon - that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize.”

That makes me want to shout hallelujah. Death to the exploitation of religion for political gain, I say. In one sentence he condemned the fear mongering used to pass the Patriot Act and to sell the Iraq war, while also vowing to avoid the shameful exploitation of religion so popular under Bush. McCain is already using the terrorist threat as a major reason why people should vote for him, but Obama claims he’ll keep away from this.

We’ll see. Fine speech Mr. Obama. Fine speech.

Critics of Obama claim he is only good for a fine speech. We could argue about his record on the community, state, and national levels, thin though they are compared to McCain, evidence a forward-thinking, if liberal politician who is committed to finding real solutions. We could argue about his brilliance, knowledge of the law and constitution, compared to McCain’s worldwide experience. We could pick apart his religious associations and  compare them to McCain’s hasty swipe at foolish religious endorsements. All that to say, we just have speeches.

As McCain and Obama train their sights on one another, I’ll be interested in seeing how they toe the line of respect for each other, committing to non-partisan cooperation, while convincing the country not to vote for the other guy. It’s like dancing with a partner while hitting the same partner repeatedly with a stick.

Perhaps the true measure for a candidate shouldn’t just be the candidate’s record, but whether or not we believe the candidate can truly deliver on his promises. Is the candidate competent and knowledgeable? Does the candidate rely heavily on advisors for key policies or is he capable of evaluating his options with guidance from advisors? Does the candidate have sound judgment in evaluating advisors? Will the candidate have to pacify his base by passing certain legislation that his core supporters may find distasteful?

As we enter the season of promises and speeches, it’s time to look for substance and the true potential to turn these speeches into reality.