was back in 1960, when I was in the eighth grade. Part of our Social Studies and History class was a mock campaign and election of the President. This prompted us to follow the campaign closely, and the stark differences between Kennedy and Nixon were easy for us to see. Where Nixon stood for more of the same (the Eisenhower era and the shadows of the McCarthy Era), JFK offered Americans HOPE and a vision of our country as a place to do great things and allow us, individually, to also do great things.

Today we see trends that mirror that time. McCain disparages the concept of hope, telling us we must be VERY AFRAID, and trust our government to look out for our safety. All hope MUST be abandoned, as there is no reason for Hope to exist.

Barack asks us to cast away this mantle of Fear and look toward the light (metaphorically speaking). When fear is pushed aside, good things can be accomplished. I don't think he is promising us pie in the sky, but he is affirming his belief that the soul of a people achieve so much when Fear is pushed aside.

(Edited for bad proofreading)