It was on the chilly night of January 3rd in Iowa, with this speech from Barack Obama- one that made people believe:



And when the state of Ohio was called for Obama last night, you knew that the race was over. The rest was academic. At 11PM California, Washington and Oregon would tell the tale. It just so happened that Virginia and Florida were called then too, with many more states to follow - a wave of validation, an outpouring of support, a course correction for a nation that had come loose from its bearings.

Seeing the folks dancing and cheering up on U Street in DC last night was a deeply emotional experience. These are the very same streets that burned to the ground not so very long ago, with people full of rage and despair. Today, it is a different story. I was so moved that I had to get my baby girl up to see it, and to see Barack Obama accept the honor of becoming America's 44th President.

My wife and I sat (and at times stood, and paced and cheered and hugged) holding Clara in our arms and watched together, as living history unfolded before us. Throughout the evening we spoke to distant friends and family, and connected with many more over the internet, sending out tense, nervous missives that later gave way to an outpouring of congratulations, warm well wishes and shared hopes for a better tomorrow.

Of course, not everyone is waking up happy today in America, but hopefully we can all agree that the last eight years have been a rough road and that a little change is a good thing. Despite the honest, sincere disagreements Americans may have about the issues we face, I hope that we can all support Barack Obama has he ascends to the Presidency.

-- MDT