Tom Arbogast: Iowa caucuses a source of hope

Tom Arbogast of WNPJ member group Sauk Prairie Area Peace Council send us this letter to the editor, printed in the Sauk Prairie Eagle.

Dear editor:

It's been awhile since I've felt like writing another of these letters, as I was feeling very discouraged about the country/world situation and felt like what's the use of even trying, feeling almost hopeless. However, I find after the Iowa caucuses there are signs of new life and new hope for change at the top coming from the grassroots, at least in our neighoring state of Iowa. The hard fought victories of Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee, in their respective parties, there last week represented to me expressions by most of the voters were looking for real change as these candidates' message were ones of populist politics for reform and real change and not the status quo.we've become so stagnated in. This may be only a "change" moment, as for sure the status quo will fight back heavily and probably get ugly, unfortunately. However, the Iowa results are a good start. By the time this letter is published we'll know more about how this moment holds up.

Note the words of Obama, the first person of color to win the first-caucus state, in his victory speech, "We came together as Democrats, as Repulicans and independents, to stand up and say we are one nation, we are one people and our time for change has come. Hope is the bedrock of this nation, the belief that our destiny will not be written for us but by us, by all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is but who have the courage to remake the world as it should be." Doesn't that sound like Robert F.Kennedy from the sixties?

Huckabee declared similarly, "When one is elected to public office, one is not elected to be a part of the ruling class. One is elected to be a part of the serving class." His victory on the Republican side was a remarkable story of that night, as he was outspent by at least 7 to1 by Mitt Romney's self-financed campaign. So, money isn't necessarily what wins. Even outsider Republican, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, pulled another 10 percent, and, it is noted that militant populist candidate John Edwards came in second and Hilary Clinton was third.

So, my friends, there is new hope in the land that the people can and will take back our country, sooner than later in this new year of 2008.