He did it. And while part of me would like to jump up and down and scream from the rafters and cheer and cry, just a little, the biggest part of me feels how heavy and sobering a moment this is.
History was made. And to me, it feels like America gets to start over. We get to rebuild where we were broken, we get to earn back the respect of the other nations. There is still so much left to do, but we started by successfully taking that first, huge, crucial step.
I hadn't planned to go to bed before 2 or 3 a.m. last night. Nik and I agreed that neither of us could sleep until a concession was made. I had NO idea that I would be in bed by 12:30, peaceful and dreaming of better days for all of us.
For those of you whose guy didn't win, I'm sorry. I know that it must be devastating and scary to some of you. I hope, though, that you can try to push your misgivings to the side a little bit and step forward with us and hope. I hope that at least for the next couple years, the awful divisiveness that plagued us can be forgotten, and we can work together.
I felt McCain's speech was the best I've heard from him. Maybe it's only because I don't perceive him as a threat anymore, but last night I saw a warmth and grace from him that he lacked his entire campaign. A sense of accountability. A flash of humanity and humility.
For those of you did vote for Obama, for those of you who made phone calls and knocked on doors and registered voters and drove them to the polls, I raise my proverbial glass to you. This one is for us, for everyone. And while I may sound like a politician myself saying this, I will reiterate what President-Elect Obama stated last night both at Grant Park and in an email to his supporters - this happened because of you. Because you came together and moved mountains. When people scoffed, you worked harder. When defeat seemed close, you refused to back down. And move mountains you did. You changed history. You overcame a racial barrier. You did it.
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