Hallelujah

Congratulations, America!

Wow! That felt good! I haven't voted for a presidential winner since I was a senior in high school!

I didn't expect my reaction to his win. I knew I'd be excited, but I wasn't prepared to be overcome with such emotion. I can't even describe the feeling. I think my reaction was mirrored by the panels on CNN.

After they announced they were calling the win for Obama, CNN showed the crowd at Grant Park. Everyone was going insane. When they finally cut back to the studio, it was just silent. Nobody was trying to talk over each other. Everyone was somber. A few were choked up.

When Obama gave his speech, I was amazed. He was grateful, inspiring and most of all, honest. It's refreshing to hear a politician say something along the lines of "It's going to be a difficult and long road, but I'm willing to stick to it and work my ass off. But I'll need your help. Walk with me. This is awesome, but it's not the end of the fight. It's just begun."

And how awesome is it to see a family who appears to genuinely care for each other? I don't think I've seen a political couple look at each other like that since Al and Tipper! And the girls . . . I mean you can tell they love him, but how much do you want to bet they were more excited about the puppy than Daddy's win?

With as excited and satisfied as I am about Obama's win, I am a little disappointed. I didn't vote for a winner in every category. And I was still holding onto the idea that maybe by some miracle this was going to be the year Kansas went blue. But it was much closer than I thought it would be!

And California . . . Well. You confound me.

I believe we made the right choice for president. I understand all kinds of things can go wrong, but for the first time in a long time, I have some hope. As I've been writing this, I've finally figured out how to describe what I felt last night.

I feel like I can breathe.

And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.