Congratulations President Barack Obama

i got so sick of CNN and NBC trying to one up one another, i watched southpark in anticipation of the jon stewart/colbert special. it wasn't all that great.

then stewart turns to colbert and goes, "i have something you need to know..."

and i hear an eruption outside my window...fireworks, screaming, music, car horns...

"...barack obama is our new president."

flipped to NBC and saw grant park screaming.

It was incredible. Went down to Providence to be with friends.

When he won, we went through the streets of Providence in a gigantic parade and ended up filling the State House at the end.

Incredible.

A couple pictures: http://flickr.com/photos/doctabu/sets/72157608656805770/

When they called it for Obama, I looked at my wife and quitely said "I think it's all gonna be okay." My wife agreed. We both felt more at ease than we have in quite a while.

It was incredible. Went down to Providence to be with friends.

When he won, we went through the streets of Providence in a gigantic parade and ended up filling the State House at the end.

Incredible.

A couple pictures: http://flickr.com/photos/doctabu/sets/72157608656805770/

Thanks Ze. Here's from my note on Facebook about what it all meant for me:

What Obama’s Election Means To Me

I began writing this to offer a few short bullet points about the complexity of my feelings about Obama’s election this evening. McCain just gave his concession speech as I began sketching notes watching the crowd on TV gathering in Chicago.

Then Obama stepped on the stage and began to talk, first like an Oscar acceptance speech but gradually into a mission statement for the next four years. I was forced to return here time and again, as each point I had struggled to articulate was reiterated by Obama through such elegant language. I’ll pepper some of my points below with those quotes.

What Obama’s election means to me:

1) Obama views the concept of “America” in the way I too hold dear, a Thomas Dewey framework that replaced, politically, a middle age faith in a religiously-based state to a secular faith in Democracy (which was so revolutionary about America’s founding). If you believed that your King was religiously ordained, this meant the state was perfect and we citizens had little role in affecting change. Criticism of the state was not just dissent but heresy. However, America was an intentional break from that notion – a faith in American Democracy became the new religion; it meant a belief in unending progress, recognizing America’s failings not to devalue the country but to identify places we as a people need to work together to address. This is a progressive view of America that appreciates and relies upon the liberating power of a society to unleash the collective energy of its citizens, and demands a continual renewal of how we even define that word “citizen.”

Or, more succinctly stated by Obama tonight:
“That’s the true genius of America – that American can change. Our union can be perfected. What we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can achieve tomorrow.”

2) What I loved most about Obama’s half hour infomercial from last week was it’s last line: “I will open the doors of government and ask you to be involved in your own democracy again”. This comes from his perspective as a community organizer. I am not a community organizer but I feel fortunate to have been associated with many through my professional and activist work. It is one thing for a politician to talk about the role of citizens, as they need to get out the vote to get elected; it’s another thing to create opportunities BETWEEN the elections, hold out expectations that citizens take action to take advantage of them, and use the bully pulpit to inspire people to reach for a grand vision.

Or, in Obama’s own words tonight:
“I will ask you to join in the work of making this country… This victory alone is not the change we seek, it is just the chance for us to make that change. It can’t happen without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice… we rise and fall as one nation, as one country.”

Obama not only told America’s history through recounting the life of an African-American woman who at the age of 106 voted today, but then challenged us to ask, should our children live so long, what change would WE want to see in THEIR lifetime – and what can we do now to work towards that change, to make that America? I think the greatest affect of an Obama presidency will be its affect on how those under 40 understand what its means to be an engaged citizen and to the extent that this expectation feeds back into and reshapes the cynical political system.

3) President Bush blew it in so many ways, no more so then in wasting the good will of the world after the September 11th attacks. He not only squandered that support but he spit it back in their faces, destroying not just years but a half century of good will produced by multiple generations of American’s good work and international agreements. Rather than be viewed as the leader in this radical experiment begun in the Revolutionary War, fighting for ideals which have inspired one democratic revolution after another around the world, we are now marked as a global bully acting erratically and out of self-interest.

All of which Obama directly confronted tonight:
“And to all those watching from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular but our destinies are shared… 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 the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.”

4) All of the above is something I have sought from my government for some time. But nothing is faster to bring tears to my eyes that the fact that Akiva , my 2.5 year old son, will grow up in an Obama America, one marked not only by the three points listed above, but obviously by the historic fact that Obama’s election signals a major blow against racism. But that’s not wholly correct to be worded as such, as while it may be true for me that the election of the first biracial African-American president is such a liberating act in our national story, it will always be different for Akiva. For Akiva, it will be the norm, as he will come of age during the first pages of this new chapter in American history that we began to write this evening. Racism is far from over. But the marker has been moved and Akiva will always view the world from the other side of that marker, taking for granted that an African-American has led the United States as its President and that the majority of its citizens granted him the mandate to do so.

The current dismal state of our country is one I would wish on no President. But I think Obama can rise to the many challenges as he will know how to involve us in the necessary struggles. Many will say they don’t trust him or that he’s just a politician. I say open your heart and dare to be passionate. I plan to be disappointed, deeply disappointed, but there is no progress without risk and no love without pain. I enter our new era as a true progressive, mindful of the pitfalls and challenges, but inspired by my radical American faith that, in the end, after many “setbacks and false starts,” together we can move mountains and build a better America.

And my next step in that direction? Dare to write this and share it with you. Thank you for participating with me through reading it.

What next step will you take?

After Obama's speech I proposed to my girlfriend of three years. She accepted.

Today is a new day, and a new chapter in my life and in the life of my nation.

(From Ze: Congratulations!)

I loved Michelle's dress! She's our Jackie Kennedy.

(From Ze: Man, am i the only one?)

Constant refreshing of CNN, 538, NYTimes. Breaking out the good wine. Then moving on to liquor. Celebrating America again! It was beautiful. What a day for America.

I've saved the day the best way I know how - http://electioneering08.com/.

Here in Montreal, we had a dinner party with friends, ate lasagna, drank wine, watched MSNBC nervously, occasionally flipping over to the Daily Show's live program. Jon Stewart was the one to tell us that it had been called for Obama. We had Key Lime Pie to celebrate the fact that he took Florida. I live in one of the oldest majority-black neighborhoods in Montreal, Little Burgundy, and the church around the corner rung its bells when Obama won. It didn't feel like history, and yet it was.

at 814pm, Pacific; my BF and I are listening to the news on the car radio, hot pizza on my lap, and hear "McCain has conceeded" WAHOOO!!! We pulled over and looked at each other in ridiculously giddy silence. Home to forgotten pizza and the sea of joy in Grant Park. Beautiful. This morning, I'm giddy and all full of YES, WE ARE energy.

Last night, polls still open, people in the streets, I shouted without fear or shame, "Si, se puede!" over and over again. Today, again, I shouted in the street, "Si, se puede!" in more realistic hope. The people weep happy tears for a better future.

I agree. We better mean it. In every life there are a few"moments" that change our everyday existence. For us, for our community, for our nation. This is that moment, a chance to actually build our everyday life on powerful ideals. To reconnect to what makes America such a beautiful place. As our declaration states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." I don't think our country has been Happy for awhile. I smiled this morning on the way to work.

As a resident of New Orleans, the election has been like tracking a hurricane, wondering when and where it's going to land. Like a hurricane the election whipped the media into a fury wild and empty speculation. As the election made landfall, and it turned out that state after state had turned safely blue, the feeling was exhaustion. You and your managed to survive one hurricane, but you know you can't take two in a row. You could safely go to sleep. All the work you've put into your recovery would not be undone.

When they called it on every network, all the dorms on campus (I attend college in the US) united in cheers and screams. A rally was formed by 1AM. It was a wonderful night.

I've never seen Chicago like last night. After the party in Grant Park, massive crowds filled the now-closed streets for miles -- hooting, hollering, dancing, smiling, as far as the eye could see.

I'll never forget the thousands of people counting down as the west coast polls closed, then cheering wildly as CNN Breaking News came up "Barack Obama Elected President". Yes we can, indeed.

I got to wake my 6-yr-old daughter up this morning with a copy of the Birmingham News whose headline read: OBAMA WINS!

I cried tears of joy watching people all over the world waving American flags and cheering.

I have never felt so hopeful in my life.

Started pouring the champagne at 3 minutes to 10

I looked down at the lottery ticket in my hands that President Obama has bought that says "Yes we can," and for the first time felt that maybe we can cash in this time.

At home waiting to go to my friend's house. Cable box on the fritz so frantically refreshing CNN, BBC, NYTimes, Boston Globe, Al Jazeera, ABC, MSNBC sites. 3 electoral votes for Barry 0 to 8 for McCain. Watching the minutes tick by. Florida giving Obama much love. NC and Indiana wavering for the moment. We head out the door to buy Champagne in Crown Heights. At 1st we were thinking Champagne for the celebration and scotch for depression, but we vote for hope. The Korean store owner is in the best of moods. My fiance and I head to the subway passing a couple with a cake heading to their own celebration. On to Prospect Heights, giggling in the elevator to meet old friends and new. CNN is on, we're refreshing twitter and another site that gives county by county states. Jason Calacanis tweets that Fox news calls OH for Obama. No effing way. CNN is being such a tease and won't call it even when the math becomes impossible. As soon as they do we head outside flutes in hand to cheer and shout our jubilation with our Brooklyn neighbors. Then back upstairs to see our American Dream unfold. McCain forget to thine self be true and lost, but he'll live on to fight another day for America. Cut to the 1st family. Gorgeous people, fugly dress, immense graciousness. I'm so proud that he extends a hand to the people who didn't vote for him. He is their president too and must lead them out of this dark time as well. Tears and cheers all round.

My night consisted of screaming at the TV, screaming out on the streets and ingesting chips and beer. Also, lots of drunk tweeting and texting. We kept flipping back and forth between CNN, ABC and Fox News, noticing the Fox was projecting Obama wins ahead of anyone else. Crazy!

A view and sounds from NYC's east village last night reacting to Obama's victory.

http://www.groundreport.com/Arts_and_Culture/Change-you-can-hear-in-NYC

Tom

Brooklyn, NY. Watched returns with landlord's family... Ran numbers on electoral college with their kids and niece. Wonderful to have them interacting real time with results (they were playing out scenarios with NYTimes red/blue map all night!)
Worried early about Indiana... but when they called PA and Ohio, knew it was over. Felt exhausted.. relieved... celebration with tears on every face. And all our minds were racing to comprehend the significance of this moment. And then everyone in the room starting commenting on the ripple effect certain to circle the globe as CNN broke to Kenya-- and friends emailed from Europe as they stayed up watching this country reinvent itself.

Then at 10:20 pm as Obama was certain to win - the kids had to go to bed. Quote of night -was daughter who asked if we could 'forward to his speech' - assuming the event was on TiVo! Very funny to see real, real time in effect!

Celebrated this morning with Park Slopers at Dizzy's on 8th Ave... smiles on every type of face.

Good morning Sports Racers-- it's a new day!

Garry G
Editor
The Energy Roadmap.com
http://www.theenergyroadmap.com

I'm hosting a conference this week and took some attendees to a party where there was a 20 foot tall Shepherd Fairy HOPE poster when you entered. That image will define our generation. I remember thinking when I walked in: That's it. That image will be with me forever. Then FL went, then McCain's gracious speech, and then our man came on. I was filled with joy.

Then I wanted to be home in Oakland, my wonderful city, with my family, so I dropped my guests off at the hotel and drove home. But before I went home, I drove by every bar in our neighborhood, rolled down the windows, and honked and shouted YES WE CAN! Everyone outside the bars shouted and cheered back, and then I started honking and shouting for every person I saw walking on the street, and every single person cheered back and raised their hands. I felt so good I went back for another round before finally heading home to my husband, who met me with a giant hug.

Last night was my son's ninth birthday. We've been having remarkably substantive conversations about this election. He came with me to the polls in the morning and avidly watched the results come in until his bedtime. At 9:00 as we did "lights out" I noted to him, "Nick, it looks like your best present is goint to be a Pres-ident....a very special one. Happy birthday...and happy future kiddo. "

My husband and I had to wait all day to vote-- we rushed to the polling station in the last half-hour and were rewarded with no-line, no-wait voting. I almost cried when I chose Obama on that screen.

We came home, ordered pizza, and watched the returns come in, glued to the television so much that we couln't bring ourselves to run answer the phone.

When CNN called the race for Obama, I teared up, stopped dead in mid-sentence. When Obama took the stage to accept I openly wept into my hands with relief and joy.

And last night, for the first time in recent memory, I slept a full night of dreamless peaceful sleep.

I was amazed at how quickly the election was called. The local news station cut in to show some local results and while they were doing it, the west coast states were called for Obama so we missed the actual "calling of the election" announcement. Even though I didn't vote for him, I prayed for Obama and I will continue to pray that he does what is right for the nation during his presidency.

I spent the evening listening to a community orchestra butcher Scheherazade while I counted measures, waiting for my triangle entrance. But I guess I can't complain too loudly since it *was* a paying gig.

After passing out pizza and subs to 4,000 students in line to vote at the UCF arena just 30 minutes before the polls closed at 7, drove out to New Smyrna Beach to join most of the rest of the Kosmas Congressional Campaign for a victory party (we were wildly victorious). While celebrating the Kosmas victory we all stayed glued to the television screen and watched the returns. Elation and joy, cheering and clapping and screaming. We all thought McCain's speech was tacky, cheered and chanted through Obama's. Everyone drank a lot, and when the clubhouse closed we headed to a tavern. The downer of the night was the passing of Amendment 2, which we had all been hoping would fail, although it was not a surprise. Amazing that a state could go blue on the same night it proves itself to be anti-immigrant and homophobic (Failing FL Amendment 1 and passing Amendment 2). Elated and amazed and disappointed all at once.

Glances at a tv screen over calm chowder. A crowded Harvard bar applauds politely. theories expanded. theories contracted. walking past two men selling flutes in the square, a homeless man chants, "Ohh, baaa, maaaa."

Suddenly, a feeling that is could happen. Then, the eruption, it does happen. I was driving alone when the moment occured.

The eruption wasn't applause, women crying or music from apartment windows--it was my phone, vibrating, once, twice, "we won," three, four times, "we won."

I had no time to text back. Home at last. Flip on the news. camera man searches for tear filled eyes. And finding one, i feel asleep.

Happy and happy and happy and sad and happy. I felt amazed by the process and amazed by our country. The pendulum of it all. When I think that we just went from a super conservative old white president to a young progressive black man and not one shot was fired....I am so amazed I sometimes cannot even think about it.

After years of being ashamed, I am finally proud to be an American.

I am 34, and yesterday was the first time I voted in person in a presidential election. When we went to the polling place early in the morning (in Maryland) and the line to get in was wrapped around the building.

(I'm impatient. We left, vowed to go back later that night.)

I went and voted around 8pm EST. It felt so gratifying, because four hours later they were calling it for Obama. I'm such an instant-gratification whore.

I voted for the first time this year, because this is the first year that I've actually cared. When I watched Obama's acceptance speech, I realized why.

For the first time, a political speech made me smile.

My girlfriend came over and we cooked a red white and bleu dinner, had some wine and a few beers and sat back in awe as I finally stopped the poll analyzing and enjoyed seeing all of the action. I have always loved my country and been proud of my country. I have never loved it more, nor been more proud of it than I am this morning. This is a big step towards healing a racial divide and making up for how much of a terrorist nation we have become.

Excited anticipation. Felt like watching a football game. Such an historic night. Felt good to see people feel for their country. Take pride in their country.

In all the excitement, I drew this last night when Barack Obama was announced President-elect:

http://danger.ngenworks.com/session/single/yes_we_did/

It was overwhelming. Felt like a dancing ewok after the deathstar blew up. Shed several tears during Obama's speech as the camera panned to the crowd all with tears and hope on their face. A very memorable night sitting in front of the TV, that never happens anymore.

We climbed onto the roof and lit sparklers and popped open some champagne. Watched the party move out to the streets of Brooklyn, screaming and hugging strangers, fireworks, dancing in the streets. Wished I could have been a sparkler - it would have been the best way to show all the happiness.

I cried like a baby when it was announced Obama had won. I cried because I wished so much that my Dad and recently passed Grandma could have seen this moment. In a way they did -- and they were next to me wiping away my tears...

*snoopy dance*

Wow, it feels weird to have experienced a huge historic event!

We had a few people over last night and obsessively watched TV, listened to NPR, and surfed the web for results as they came in.

Hot damn! Awesome!!

When they announced it, I heard firecrackers go off in my neighborhood. We poured champagne and toasted. I stepped outside and heard a neighbor across the street go "Woooo!" "Woooo-hooo!" I called back. More firecrackers followed. We watched McCain's very gracious concession speech then waited around impatiently for Obama's speech. At some point our friend Matt was outside and heard our neighbor listening to the radio in his car...he walked up and said, "Yes we CAN!" "Hell YEAH we can!" replied the neighbor. LOL.

I texted back and forth with a friend who managed to get tickets to the Grant Park event. He sent me a phone picture of the crowd, lit up from above.

Obama's acceptance speech was amazing. I felt any ounce of cynicism happily evaporating in the wake of a wave of gushy Hope. Wow, that man can give a speech. I hope his presidency can live up to it.

Seeing Times Square and Grant Park on TV was amazing. Times Square became silent when Obama made his speech.

The whole time I felt this overwhelming feeling that I was seeing a HUGELY important bit of history unfold before my eyes. It was incredible.

When ABC announced that Obama had won California and he was our new president elect, everyone on my campus ran downtown in a huge mass of people. It was incredible to see so much energy, happiness, and unity finally bringing our country together.

I've never seen people chat "USA! USA! USA!" with more pride than I saw last night.

I really had not realized how pessimistic I had become. I knew something kind of shriveled up and died when Bush II won his second term but I was not prepared for the explosion of optimism when Obama really won it! I felt released and revitalized. I think I could not let all that out until it was real. Made me even more thankful to all the volunteers who were willing to be optimists two years ago and who put their efforts into making this possible.

I knew it as soon as I heard Pennsylvania and Ohio called for Obama. The only way for McCain to win was to pick up both Pennsylvania and Ohio plus all the "battleground states" and another medium state.

The only question was how big a win.

About midnight I ran downtown and found myself alone and the street dead. That's what you get for living in a New Jersey suburb. If we were a fun loving people, we wouldn't be spending so much time commuting.

I was at friend's in the financial district - I didn't make it to Union Square until 3:30 or so (is it strange that I'm almost as sad about missing the opportunity to randomly pass you in the street as I am about prop 8?)

Anyway, we were expecting a long, long, exhausting, and alcohol filled night ahead of us - with the probability of having to go to bed without closure. At one point I looked up...oh hey, west coast polls are closing in 50 seconds. Since my whole life is but a string of me making obnoxious little jokes, naturally at 10 I jump up and start counting down like it's new year's eve.

10! 9! 8!
One other friend is motivated to join in.

7! 6! 5!
Not like anything really interesting will happen just yet.

4! 3!
cnn removes the clock from the screen.

uh...2? ....1!

BARACK OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT!!!!!OMGjkf;gk;hrbyjytgedgd!!!!!!
(cnn projection)

My night looked exactly like this....
http://surelyyourenotserious.com/share/Blog/Politics/LoserBaby.jpg

http://www.surelyyourenotserious.com/blog/?p=795

When the media started calling it, it was still so early yet. I refused to believe it until I watched McCain concede because I didn't want my heart broken. Then he did concede, but it still didn't hit home until Obama walked out on stage with his family. It was very surreal. I was also very drunk.

Walking around the city this morning though on my way to class I could sense a different air about people. Everyone walking so lightly, they almost looked weightless, like a burden had been lifted.

It's still hard for me to take in because I've gotten so used to a Bush America. The last third of my life has been Bush, and it feels as though things have always been this way; it's hard to imagine it any other way. But I look forward to seeing it.

Even once the electoral math was set, I held off celebrating until MSNBC called it at 11. Even though I knew it was coming at 11, knew they'd call it as soon as the west coast polls closed, I was still completely overtaken with emotion, fell onto my wife's shoulder and cried with joy and hope and pride. I'm about to cry now, again, typing these words.

comment of the night for me was "I can look at the leader of the free world and think 'he looks like me' and maybe I can do that" ~ a young Seattle African American male voter

Surely, anyone who is caucasian will never understand what that means

I feel an enormous burden of doubt/sadness/fear being lifted from my shoulders.

I feel peace and hope and much love (once again) for our country.

This truly is a democracy. Please, let's all just practice tolerance and compromise and understanding.

A bittersweet night, Ze.
As we prepped the night:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/everythingsjustjake/sets/72157608674829244/
we flicked around the television but stayed tuned to CNN, mostly.
As NH, PA, NJ, etc were all being called blue, we became excited. My partner (a gay McCain/ Palin supporter who has hopes of a return to the original Republican ways) ended up leaving the get-together. We couldn't give him sympathy.
When we knew that Obama had it, I was shocked that involuntary tears came to my eyes. As did happen to our hostesses. We waited to realize that NO on Prop 8 was not going to happen. Sad. We wanted to wait for Franken to take his seat in the senate. We realized it was not going to happen that night.
I walked home feeling good, relieved that the election was over. I noticed that my shoulders were not up to my ears for the first time in months.
I slept well.
Today-- I watch in interest as my partner looks to the Republican party as they scramble to redefine themselves.

(From Ze: There was an article a while back about a group of gay republicans showing up to the RNC to lobby for a change in party attitude. Very poignant. It speaks to the need of third parties, i think, on both sides (i just wrote that and realized how silly the "both" sounds...even in a call for third parties I am trapped in the two party mindset)

I consider myself to be a very jaded liberal. Maybe even a pessimistic one. And so from the outset of the election I convinced myself that a) some October surprise was going to come along and knock Obama out of it or b) the vote would be hacked/tied up in the Supreme Court and McCain would win via some shady string-pulling. It wasn't until after Obama's speech last night that I allowed the reality of what had occurred to sink in. In my lifetime (and more importantly, my kids' lifetime), we have been afforded the ability to see America live up to its charter. That's a powerful and amazing thing. I am really trying to revel in it.

Obama is not "my guy", as it were. I'm far too left on a lot of things for him and I to see eye-to-eye on much. That said, he got my vote and I was proud to cast it, because at least I was tossing it toward a candidate who was not trying to prey upon fear and nationalistic jingoism, but rather on hope and a sort of collective sensibility of what's right and what's wrong. In any case, I am doing my best to enjoy these heady days, where this momentous event still feels, well, momentous. Invariably, I will grow irritated with this man, as he makes the compromises and concessions all pragmatic politicians must make to forces and ideals that I find abhorrent. Most assuredly I will grow weary of his moderation when I feel strong, decisive statements and actions are warranted. However, for now I am content to be excited about what our country has done, and I'm considerably more hopeful about the future than I've been for the past eight years, and that's saying something.

Plus, CNN used a friggin' Princess Leia hologram in their election coverage last night! Cripes, Barry Goldwater could've risen from the grave and won and I would've been less surprised.

I'm with you Ze- that dress was HIDEOUS.

Last night I was at an election party with friends in Buffalo, NY. I was with good friends, but I think they are BETTER friends now that we experienced this together. Most of my fondest memories of last night will be of looking at the joyful, disbelieving faces of my friends. Seeing them react helped it seem more real for me. I had a lot of moments of looking at my friends, not speaking, and just bursting into fits of laughing/crying.

For me the most memorable part of the night was listening to his speech and slowly realizing (the magnitude of the event sunk in slooooowly for me) that not only do I trust this man to run our country, but I am truly inspired by him to join in to make the change he has been promising. I have become so emotionally disengaged from our government during the last eight years that I feel like I'm waking up from a daze. I feel empowered and motivated. The concept of "Hope" has become such a cliche during this election that it took me awhile to recognize it in myself!

We gamed all night, City of Heroes. I checked the results before shutting down for sleep, and thought "it's our turn". We've got work to do, people, a nation to reunite and heal. Now, we've got the space to do it.

Returning home from visiting with friends I exited the subway at Broad and Spring Garden just after the news had broken. Broad Street was filled with cheering people on the sidewalks and in their cars, shirtless guys and cheering girls holding up Obama signs in the light drizzle, all headed toward City Hall. I was on my way to catch up with some more friends in Northern Liberties, but I took my time photographing much of the jubilation along the way. A guy shouted from his car window "First the Phillies and now Obama - what's next??" I held up four fingers in heach hand and said, "Eight years!"

I woke up a very very happy man. I felt that MLK's words were finally ringing true...Sadly as I walked to work I watched disenchanted 'white folk' pissed off in a State that voted 60% McCain. As I walked through the executive floor at work that has a 99% earning average of over 100k I was glared at rudely, 'that liberal'. Weeks ago I was verbally abused for wearing an Obama shirt during Gustav and discounted for my views that Bush has caused a universally discredited America in the World's eyes. I asked a co-worker if she liked McCain's concession speech last night. She said she wished Palin had spoke, which would have echoed her disappointment and rallied the GOP. The divide at my work is noticeably large today. 90% of my co-workers are poor African Americans, elated. The management is rich and angry.

I fear for even greater separation. I want to be hopeful, yet I can't. Maybe if I were in Ann Arbor, I would unknowingly reflect the insularity of Pauline Kael, "I couldn't believe Nixon won, no one I knew voted for him." Sadly, I am surrounded by a divided microcosm of America. "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools," indeed.

Well Ze, i live in the netherlands, so at about 2am last night (around 10pm EST) i went to bed... only to wake up in a very happy world.

The Netherlands Celebrate this victory of Hope over Fear with you, enjoy it and like you put it; You'd better live up to it! :)

I'm going to have cake now... the office where i work arranged Obama cake.... seriously.

Congratulations on showing the world that you're still a smart and liberal nation.

Greetings from The Netherlands.

I was in a rehearsal from about 8 until 10. Some of the actors and I were checking results on our phones from various websites and blogs. I was also refreshing Twitter pretty frequently. I started to get hopeful when I heard some networks calling Pennsylvania and excited when I heard Ohio was called for Obama.

Then between 10 and 10:40 it was radio silence as I was underground and heading back to Brooklyn. I showed up at my friends' results-watching gathering (it was a more subdued party) just in time to see the early calls for Obama. First we were dubious since we were watching Comedy Central at that point, so we started flipping around to news networks and PBS. Then the cars started honking, people started yelling (we yelled out the window back at them) and fireworks started going off. People called friends and family. Then McCain conceded and the excitement was cemented. There was still an air of disbelief in our microcosm of 8-ish people gathered around the TV. But then it started to sink in and we cheered and cried and hugged and toasted and shouted out the window a little more. We quieted down for Obama's speech (and yes, questioned the dress choice) and appreciated it. We saw some of what we hoped for come to pass, and we renewed our hope for what still needs to happen.

We talked a little about the popular vote and the senate races and the difficulties the US will face in the coming months, but mostly we just sat and stood in awe; smiling and talking to, IMing, and text messaging friends in the room and across the country with whom we shared our excitement.

My tweets:

somewhat unsettling knowing my absentee ballot might not really be counted. Isn’t a deal breaker for Obama in MD, but still dampens my faith 2 days ago

thinking an Obama victory would be an emotional cathardic realease from the collective Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from 8 years of Bush 1 day ago

I love the smell of blowout in the morning… tastes like victory. God I hope McCain doesn’t steal this one. Or if they do, they get caught 1 day ago

The collective consciousness has now officially eaten my focus factor. I’m experiencing an excited anticipation not felt since Christmas ‘86 about 15 hours ago

Stuck in a traffic jam listening to NPR & reading election tweets. NH & Pennsylvania! Come on Hoosiers! Don’t disappoint me about 14 hours ago

This is the first election that I’ve voted for the Presidential winner. We’ll be going to Obama’s inauguration speech to celebrate. about 11 hours ago

I really hope Indiana goes for Obama. It’ll feel so much nicer to go home to a Blue state. Saw a tweet that the gap is down to 12000 votes. about 11 hours ago

Wow. Two people in my twitter stream are going to be on CNN talking about citizen journalism in 30-60 min. @stevegarfield & @ chuckumentary about 11 hours ago

Sen Al Franken? Hilarious Hologram tweets. PBS’ Leher “Mathematics is not really our strong suit.” Flip. CA called — 275! about 11 hours ago

Ray Suarez got a tip “Watch out for Sarah Palin.” Collective sigh. And is Jim Lehrer like high, drunk or just totally exhausted? about 10 hours ago

Sounds like McCain has been practicing his concession speech. The crowd looks a bit shell shocked while yelling their ackward bitter boos about 10 hours ago

Two things make me sad tonight. The fact that the popular vote was as close as it was & that Obama’s grandmother passed before seeing this. about 10 hours ago

Elder CBC reporter saying that spontaneous demonstrations at the White House organized by “text message machines” And MD voted in slots :p about 10 hours ago

Transcendent. Look forward to more reality-based Obama speeches filled with nuance & an open-hearted spirit of collaboration. Tears flowing. about 9 hours ago

Obama is like Craig Newmark in that he leads from behind and doesn’t let his ego get in the way. He was somewhat subdued to build bridges. about 9 hours ago

Waking up excited, happy, optimistic & inspired because of national politics. Wow, I’ve never been able to say that. Feels like a dream. :) about 2 hours ago

We posted an Obama video back on Feb 18, 2007 after giving him money. Quite amazing how much of his vision was actualized http://is.gd/6pdf less than a minute ago

Some nice girls handed out fresh, warm cookies to those of still waiting in line last night.

Democracy is yummy!!!!

Then I watched the Daily Show special and John Stewart seemed extremely excited to announce Obama as winning.
Then the shots of Oprah made me cry during his speech.
Then I was sleepy.

i think i have a chance with Palin now that she's gonna fade into obscurity!

and it was fun last night to teach the kid about the electoral college and liken it to video game scoring.

if you were in the city you missed the fireworks in cobble hill

Some people may have thought the election outcome predictable and boring, but not North Carolina!! For the first time since the 1960s, our state could possibly side with a Democratic presidential candidate. It's STILL undecided at 11am on Wednesday, with 12,160 votes separating the candidates. Talk about a nail-biter. I know this doesn't affect the overall election, but for us Liberal North Carolinians, it's HUGE.

(from my iReport posted here http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-138535)

Usually, a trip from Philadelphia to tiny Anguilla, BWI would take about 8 hours max. Due to overlays, mechanical problems and cancelled flights, my 5 year old
twins and I have been busy traveling for the past 40 hours, not remotely concerned with the US Presidential elections.

However, no less than 10 minutes after walking into our front door, a group of honking cars drive by our house, which could only mean ONE thing.....

Living on a tiny Caribbean island as a Swiss native, with a 16 year history of living in the US prior to moving here, has been a unique experience, providing for a unique perspective of this years US Presidential elections.

As a racial minority on this island, I can say without the shadow of a
doubt that race is NOT what this election has been about because
frankly, it's just not an issue here in Anguilla.

Yes, Anguilla is 90% black and yes, the US economy affects Anguilla in terms of imported goods as well as tourism, but to me, that does not explain why a HUGE number of Anguillians have been wearing Obama shirts, bumper stickers and bringing up the subject in conversations as there jus isn't any vested interest.

So somehow, this Illinois Senator named Barack Obama has captured the attention of people all over the World and shared words and messages that resonate with humans regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual preference.

When that group of honking cars was driving by my house in gorgeous Anguilla just a few hours ago, I knew that Barack Obama was going to be the new President of the United States of America without ever turning on the television.

Extremely conservative college. A handful of Obama supporters. One huge McCain election party.

Many sad faces. Even some tears.

I'll always remember the lone Obama decoration in the midst of hundreds of McCain posters, official and handmade.

I'll always remember that I was one of the few left smiling.

I'll always remember how McCain asked them to accept and support Obama.

I wonder what they'll do. But I already know.

From Florida (transplanted New Englander), and first and foremost, it was unbelievably gratifying to have the state go the way my own personal vote went. Hasn't happened in a long while. Too long.

The vote for President, that is. Looks like we lost on the horribly mean-spirited Proposition Two, which will now make it difficult for unmarried partners of any stripe--gay or straight--to support one another and make decisions about each other's financial and physical well-being. Sigh. Maybe we can overturn it at some point.

I was hustling to get some work done but also spent the night texting with friends in other cities, whose main message seemed to be, "Okay, what's up with Florida?!" It DID take them a long time to call it down here, especially as all indications showed a larger margin of victory for Obama than in other states that were called much earlier. Guess we like to keep it fun!

And, like others, I cried when they called the race. I cried when Obama walked out on stage, looking somber and dignified and, I'm sure, well aware of the uphill battle before him. And I cried at the magnificence and generosity of his speech and what it all, I hope, means for the country and the world.

I also loved watching the four-way Obama/Biden clinch. That is going to be a great team.

And now I'm wondering what's next. What can I do, as a private citizen, to really help effect the change I voted for. Because I'm willing and I'm ready.

Yep. We did. :-)

After working the polls all day I came home to the family nervously watching the returns. My 10-year-old daughter was trying to will it to be true by writing an affirmation about Obama becoming president in her journal over and over again. By the time all but the west coast has closed she has written six pages of it. She panics when they start playing out electoral collage scenarios on CNN giving all sorts of states to McCain. Only when she sees it still won't matter does she settle down.

When they call it for Obama we collapse in a tear-filled family hug on the couch. So begins another American's introduction to the political process and civic responsibility. She wants to change the world and now feels like there is someone in charge who can help her. I kind of like it that way. Obama's there to help us do what is right, not the other way around. Yes we can!

Icing on the cake: We flipped Indiana to blue!

7pm CST - en route to election party, 38th and Chicago Av streets filled with early revelers.

8pm CST - babies, babies, babies staying up late and cruising amidst the mingling adults while MSNBC displayed silently in the background.

9pm CST - Where the hell are the early US Senate results for Minnesota? Tamales and chips and guac.

10pm CST - Sad grandpa concedes. Man does Pat Buchanan look old.

11pm CST - Skinny kid with big ears and a funny name reaches the mountain top.

12pm CST - Pay the baby sitter. Peak in at the sleeping angels.

1am CST - Coleman and Franken race still too close to call. My night for baby watch. Get my sleep while I can.

I'm a 19-year-old college student and a reporter for a commercial radio station. I was at the Rhode Island Democrats' election party last night. I had already been on coverage for 11 hours. I was tired and scared. I found myself in good company.

Electoral vote counts crept up and people got more hopeful. The radio press area was right behind the TV, so I couldn't see the images, but I could see peoples' reactions. In short, I saw a lot of nail-biting.

When CNN announced Obama had won, all the fear and disappointment disappeared and there were five straight minutes of joyous screaming.

I am so proud of where I was tonight. I am so proud of everybody who yelled and grinned and shouted into our microphones. I am so proud of the security guard who looked at me sideways when I was doing my call-in and told me it was okay to be a little biased. I'm a college student and a Residential Peer Leader, and a bunch of my freshmen lead a march of literally thousands on Rhode Island's Capitol- I am so proud of them. I am so proud of McCain, for gracefully conceding when the time came. I am so proud of Obama. And I am so proud of America.

But, and this is a big "but," I also think it's important to remember what we DIDN'T accomplish yesterday.

The wars haven't ended. Education isn't affordable. Poverty isn't abolished. Healthcare isn't universal. Inequality isn't lessening. Racism isn't over.

Last night was beautiful. Last night was for celebration.

And today? I hope ALL my friends remain politically active and politically critical. It's time to go back to work.

we had an election party at our house and had all of our kids watching too.everyone was part of history last night. we couldn't believe our eyes when we saw them make the call. so incredible! we are so happy and so proud to be an American! we woke up and had a silent, peaceful revolution yesterday. celebrate!
check out downtown Boulder last night - we worked tirelessly to get out the vote here - if we got 95% turnout among Dems, we would carry the state, and we DID IT!
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/nov/05/downtown-celebration-stays-peaceful/

I cried all night -- tears of joy! I went to bed after ABC called it just after 11 PM, but kept waking up just to make sure it stuck. (Yep, I'm a Democrat... after 2000, I'm pretty paranoid around
election time.)

When I got to school, teachers were literally dancing in the halls, crying, hugging....
it's such a beautiful sight. When we opened the
doors to let the students in, they were doing the same.

Do you know what gets me about this election? It's
almost become a cliche, so we don't think about it that much ... but it's all about hope. Thousands of people made calls, knocked on doors, drove people
to register and vote, carried signs, blogged, fought smear campaigns.... it's the PEOPLE who won this election. Not lobbyists. Not huge corporate sponsors. This election was won by people who
fought hard day and night -- some of whom have never even bothered to vote before -- because they have hope for this country. Watching the emotional catharsis of all the volunteers as the reality of this win hit is one of the best experiences I think I'll ever have in this lifetime.

I'm floored. I never thought I would see this day in my lifetime, let alone on a day while my kids are still young enough that they will grow up in a whole new world.

When CNN called the election for Barack Obama I celebrated briefly with my husband and picked up the phone as his brother called to make sure we had heard the news.

I went to share the news with my little daughter, asleep in her room. She had been so excited to watch as I voted for him. The election judges took time to tell her about the process. As we left she was proud that we "didn't do any electioneering." She hardly wanted to go to sleep that evening, but she just would not have lasted.

In her room I leaned over her tiny form and said "Senator Obama won the presidency." She sighed happily in her sleep. She can't possibly grasp the change in her world, but I am excited for her generation. She did not remember my telling her and was able to be excited all over again this morning. I like to think she had nice dreams all night. I did.

As an African-American woman, I know the significance of this event, but I can not revel in it being some grand achievement...because I take the words of Dr. King Jr. very serious and I judge that man not by his skin but the content of his character.

And he is seriously lacking.

But I hope to be wrong. Because this country can't afford it if I'm right.

(From Ze: Good to hear a dissenting voice. I have been visiting the comments sections of foxnews and youtube for the past few weeks to remind myself of how divided we are. What I am consistently struck by is the outright racism that surfaces over and over again. On one page of 200 comments beneath a youtube Obama speech I counted 26 n-words - all used in the worst way. I understand the view that there are crackpots on both sides but in this case the crackpots are so severe and so threatening - there were actual calls for assassination - i kept a screenshot. As an African American woman, I would like to know your thoughts on this - does the GOP need to fracture in order to distance itself from that force?)

I'm a white girl from Indiana and I sat in a Brooklyn Bar on Dekalb Avenue talking politics with a few yuppie black lawyers. We went on for hours discussing our views of what's been going on in those red states. We all had ties in those red states and wondered if we'd done enough to express the views of the blue. It was a phenomenal evening of making new friends and feeling that things are going to be much better for everyone. Slowly but surely things are getting on track.

Then CNN projected the win and the sounds of the victory were deafening! We all toasted with champagne and ran out to the street along with thousands of others to cheer and hug strangers who all believe in the unity of campaign. Fireworks blasted one block over, there were horns honking, sirens and lights, screams of rejoicing all around. Snare drums were leading groups of young people down the street. Grown men, women and families were dancing in the middle of Dekalb Avenue. I heard my new friends calling out, "Hey Indiana!" We hugged and exchanged info. We came to silence twice to hear the candidates speeches through the windows of crowded bars from the sidewalk. People were crying from the joy of hope and the joy of finally having an opportunity to bring about positive change. These sounds continued until dawn.

In short: I nearly cried during Obama's acceptance speech and I am brimming with joy for what the future may hold for us.

I'm in Colby College in Waterville, ME. Starting at 8:00 PM, we had three big projectors showing NBC, CNN, and Fox News in our new government building. As the polls closed and the states were called, we cheered. Ohio was especially loud. Later that night, after watching McCain and Obama give their respective speeches among the few conservatives on campus (who were all quite sad), I crawled into bed with chants of O-BA-MA! and U-S-A! and YES WE CAN! ringing outside. As the night drew later, the celebratory crowds took to singing "America the Beautiful" and "The Star Spangled Banner." These are college kids, mind you.
I voted for Ralph Nader.
I'm still happy.

I'm in a bar in Montreal, watching an improv match. First pause, a guy comes and says Obama is in lead. Cheers from the crowd here, even if everybody is Canadian.

End of the match, walking away from the bar, just a quick look at the scores, and heading back home....Arriving just in time to see the speech of Obama in Chicago. I'm french, living in Canada, i don't need to care but i do. I feel the hope for the western world, i feel the joy of millions of americans who contributed to this day. I do have the goosebumps and a huge smile on my face.

Yesterday was a bright day, for the US and for the whole world. And for the first time since a long time, I would be proud if i were american. Yes You can ! yes WE can, all together, change a little bit the world we live in. History was allready made yesterday, let's keep on these tracks and put the US back to were they should be : as a leader for hope, peace and equallity. It's gonna be hard and It will take a long time, but now you have the whole world standing with you, thanks to Obama.

But hey, i'm just a french guy in that weird country up north...

I am weepy at my desk reading all of these, a continuation of my weepiness reading the NY Times this morning, which was a continuation of my weepiness last night. I don't think the full magnitude of what our country did yesterday and what it means for us has settled in, and I am really enjoying each wave of new understanding and celebration. I voted in clinton hill, Brooklyn. I'd never seen the gym so full or the halls to get to the gym spilling out onto the streets like they were. I waited in line for over an hour with two very nice ladies and we were nervous and excited together. I took some pictures. Some of the classes in the school had voted, colored construction paper tallies taped on thier doors showed Obama well in the lead. I photographed my vote and might frame it. When I came out of the booth I couldn't help but put my fists in the air and cheer, and everyone around me seemed to feel similarly. Never before (sorry, Bill) had I been so excited about pulling that lever. All day I was nervous, had dinner w/my bosses and a client and then cabbed to the gowanus. the cab driver had no idea where we were so was surprised to see a sea of people outside on a gritty street in the middle of nowhere. The scene turned me off a bit, particularly in light of the fact that I might never get in the door -- so we went down the street to the Canal Bar, a very local watering hole that was soon overtaken by more friends and spill-over election night revelers from the Bell House. Things were looking good but I still couldn't get my hopes up, things had looked good for Kerry, too. They called PA with 0% votes in... I wasn't convinced. But then Ohio... and math... and the west coast!! He fucking did it!! Cheers and hugging and crying. Unbelievable!! McCain's speech made it real and I was really impressed by him. more crying. Then Obama (Ze we were in agreement on the dress but I love her, she walks on water, I forgive) he looked so humbled, he spoke so movingly and well. more crying. Walking home everyone was cheering in the streets, high fiving random strangers. Congratulations and thank you PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA, for giving me hope, pride in where I come from, respect for a leader I believe in and trust. I can't wait to see what happens.

My 12 year-old son and I were watching the electoral numbers break for Obama, when the door bell rang suddenly and repeatedly. I answered only to be greeted by a group neighborhood kids holding Obama signs that they'd swiped from other neighbor's yards. They were cheering "O-BA-MA" like a band of political trick or treaters. My son immediately darted out to celebrate with them without even asking permission—it was wonderful.

I was sick at home, so I didn't go out to celebrate. :(
But I kept an eye on the TV all night to keep up with the minute by minute action and ate ice cream, hoping my home state of Georgia would turn blue.
It didn't, but that's ok--enough other states turned blue to show the others what-for.
I thought McCain gave an eloquent concession speech-- would have been nice to see his supporters act as eloquent.
Obama gave a beautifully poignant speech-- no jocularity, no grandstanding. The somberness of its tone really hit home the enormity of the task he is about to undertake.
Michelle's dress was hideous.
It was touching to watch the coverage of Ebenezer Baptist in Atlanta and see the absolute elation in the faces of the old Freedom Riders. Seeing the tears in Rev. Al Sharpton's eyes as King's dream at last finally came true.
Oprah also put in her two cents with the shedding of tears thing.
I felt an enormous shift in the world; old perceptions toppling, as, in the evolutionary course of American political history, Americans of all races and ages took one giant leap for humankind.
Most of all, I'm so happy that two adorable little girls get to take home a new puppy.
Everybody wins! :)

My whole dorm exploded in happy screams. And this is coming from a male Computer Science hall. Rather awesome. Called my parents. They were so happy. All in all a good night.

Puppies for America! Puppies for all!

Seeing Barack Obama as our President-elect standing in front of more than 100,000 people of all races, ages and genders who were cheering and waving American flags reassured me about the promise of America. For the last few years, Republicans and conservatives have been effective at controlling the imagery of the flag and patriotism. To watch a Republican rally is to see the flag in the service of mostly middle aged white voters. But the people gathered in Grant Park looked more like a representative cross-section of America. While George W. Bush governed for the people who voted for him (or perhaps only for those who donated significant amounts of money to his campaigns), I believe-- or at least realistically hope that Obama is going to govern in the best interest of all of us Americans.

Congratulation from London, UK!!!

My friends and I stayed up all night glued to the TV. The relief and joy we all felt when we knew Obama had won was overwhelming.

Relief because the thought of McCain and Paiin in the White house represented everything we, and to a large extent the rest of the world had come to despise American politics for. Joy because the president elect brings hope for better things to come, not only to American's but to people all around the globe.

On the tube this morning there was only one topic of discussion. People were smiling over full page pictures of Obama on the cover of the papers with headlines exclaiming "Mr President" and "The new world". Everyone here is in awe that finally the US has chosen to elect an intelligent, well spoken and truly inspirational man to be their next president. This morning the world suddenly seemed a little better for it. Obama has so much to prove, but I for one believe he can.

I waited an hour and a half to vote for McCain (and a slate of other losing candidates) in a "blue" state on the West coast. I knew what was coming but I believe it was worth the trouble, and even more so after seeing the concession and victory speeches and the national sigh of relief.

Still, "Nice speech, kid. Don't get cocky."

We were listening to NPR and watching the electoral map online... when they called it my 13-year-old son raised both of his arms in victory... yes!!!!

When the election was called for Obama; we all cheered and toasted (again) and then, caught up in our joy, proceeded to drunk dial everyone who ever meant anything to each of us to share our happiness!!!

I've been exhausted from late nights and a 2 year old who doesn't know that we set the clocks back and he should start getting up an hour later. Last night I fell asleep with him when putting him to bed. I woke up and noticed it was almost midnight. I went downstairs to let the dog out and brush my teeth and see what results were in. I turned on the TV to see Grant Park and the words "Awaiting Obama acceptance speech". A happy moment, but like most things of such magnitude, a little difficult to get a real handle on. I'm happy and excited, but maybe not as much as I expected to be. Now the real work begins. I'm rolling up my sleeves, where do we start Mr. President-elect?

I watched MSNBC pretty much the whole day with my closest friends in Berkeley, CA. My mom called me sobbing when CNN called it, meanwhile we had gone over to Indecision 2008 on Comedy Central and I saw Jon Stewart make the announcement (it was very fitting). We cried and cheered, and later as my roommate, my boyfriend, and I drove home, all the streets were swarmed with celebrating marches and chanting and a revolutionary spirit I've never felt before.

The next step is taking down this gay marriage ban my stupid CA just passed.

2004 was the tragedy of Apollo I.

Last night was man on the moon.

In 2004 it was anyone but Bush. In 2008 it was clear we had a leader to vote for.

Was in a hotel in Toronto watching election results when the new president was announced. The street outside exploded in cheers and car horns. American decisions don't just affect Americans, which everyone seems to know but us.

I'm in New Mexico, not a battleground state, but a state that went to Bush both times. Yesterday as I proudly voted for an African American for the first time, an African American woman asked the pollsters if they could take a picture of her depositing her ballet. She was crying, and very proud. It's something I won't forget. It's good to be an American again.

I was a democratic poll worker in Indiana, from 5 am until 7:15pm. I walked the equivalent of a marathon helping people gain their voice.

Throughout the day I saw a scattering of shell-shocked vets come in to vote. Men with limps and missing limbs. A couple were the mumbling-to-themselves type, but most went silently through the motions with all the expressiveness of a machine. Guys my age. They showed their military ID (all 100% disabled vets are eligible for one) to me and I ticked off their names on our county's list of residents. We cannot know in the end how they voted, but at least one told me, "I'm voting for barack obama", in a husky voice I could barely hear over the general commotion at the time. We're not supposed to say anything for our candidates, but I smiled as I handed him his voter card. If I'd thought too hard about it at the time I'd have burst into tears.

We had a different voter turnout, too. A busful of retired folks not normally used to getting around. I saw a couple of "pray vote pray" t-shirts. One fellow requested assistance, because he was functionally blind (also functionally LOUD - everybody in the place couldn't help but hear him). As two aides went to go help him, he mentioned his disability, and added, "I jus' wanna make sure I don't vote fer that NIGGER."

The whole place got quiet. Nobody was quite sure what to do. Then the two aides, one of them the lead democratic judge for our location, patiently helped him to vote. His voice gets heard too.

At my polling station, we had a dead heat (it was within 5 votes for either candidate) for the presidential race, 4 party-line libertarian votes, which I referred to as requiring "a brass deuce", and one, triumphant, write-in vote for Chuck Norris.

America was already won, but this is our voice being heard. I loved being part of the process.

I was in Grant Park.

It was the nicest, politest, funnest rock concert EVER.

When CNN called it, we collectively lost our heads. 10PM. TEN. PM. After the nightmare of Bush v. Gore, to have it called so early, so decisively...

We were all crying.

I'm in Bellingham, Washington, "the city of subdued excitement," and yet last night was probably the most excited I had seen any group of people in my life.

At about 9 PM, our election party was winding down, and the host could hear yelling from downtown, about a mile out. We head downtown and there are about 250 people standing at the main intersection all hugging and yelling yes we can/yes we did/yes we will. By about 9, the group mobilized, and walked pretty much around the downtown area, with local police blocking off intersections and high fiving as we walked by.

My friend and I were heading up the rear of the group, and as we headed back to our starting location, we noticed the same people in front of us but we were in the middle of the pack. As far as I can tell, we doubled our numbers just from people at home wanting to join in.

No cars were flipped, nothing got lit on fire, none of what people expect to happen at a large-form celebration. It was incredibly kind, VERY enthusiastic, and in the end it was a celebration for everyone.

The view from Indiana -

1. Voted in a republican governor, elected a democratic president.

2. Now is not the time for passive cynicism. Get pissed off at the media - but think of a plan for the next years ahead to get something done.

3. Check out the nyt article on "white spaces" and the recent FCC ruling. There are a lot of different ideas whirring and whizzing around now. Like the gay marriage proposals show - there is so much yet to be done.

I'm not an American citizen and as such can't vote here, but for the first time since I got my residency I feel like I'm included.

Utah, of course, remained Republican - but we gave the GOP a run for their money. There were Obama supporters waving signs on streetcorners in my neighborhood (in Salt Lake), and the number of Obama/Biden signs on people's front lawns in our little corner of this overwhelmingly red state rivalled the number I saw in my sister-in-law's neighborhood on the north side of D.C.

I wish I had the vote here. I'm moved to have watched this historic change.

At an indie club in Los Angeles with volunteers I'd been with for a year. stepped out for a bit after the win was called and lots of honking - everyone honking: people on the buss all gathered at the front of the bus, standing, the bus-driver blaring the horn as he passed us.
After the (fKing awesome) speech by President-elect Obama (*feels good to type that out) the djs started to pump music out to the crowd while CNN still streamed on the huge screen. Dancing, hugging, crying, laughing, toasting, bottles passed around by those who snuck in their own hooch...

and then the numbers on Prop 8 came in. A handful of us still paying attention to the screen stopped. immediately. completely. we only looked at each other for moment and then back at the screen. Obama had won, that was a big deal. But we'd worked so hard on killing 8; on educating people. I had changed the minds of so many people walking through East L.A. and yet our own county numbers were dismal.

I'm proud of what we did for Obama - ourselves. I've already issued the call to all who I know to stay engaged and invited people to meet monthly at my house to encourage each other to continue to pressure Washington to work with Obama, for the change we want/need.

I'm wearing a "Victory '08" pin today at work but dressed in all black over 8's passing. I was ecstatic last night over Obama's win. I woke this morning at 4am and cried over 8's win.

There's more work to do but at least we've got better partners now. *whew; it's about time.

wil -

In contrast to your functionally blind racist, a friend of mine working the polls told me about an individual who said they couldn't read the ballot because they couldn't afford glasses and could the poll workers just point out all the Democrats for them. She said, I don't know all of them, to which the voter replied, just show me which one is Obama.

Getting teary eyed waking up this morning and seeing America's beautiful new first family. Seeing the wreckage from having a hundred people over to celebrate - strangely happy about doing dishes today!

My wife had gone to bed after Obama's speech, leaving me to polish off the second bottle of wine. The pundits were wrapping up their coverage when I heard a roar coming down the street. I grabbed my camera, but regrettably forgot my shoes. A group consisting mostly of tufts students was marching down the street, chanting "O-BA-MA", "U-S-A!", and "This is what democracy looks like."

We arrived a half mile later at Davis Square where the entire group spontaneously sang the Star Spangled Banner.

I've got blisters on my feet.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ihKwAlYnw

I'm a million miles away in NZ, but at work we were reading the results as they came in on the nzherald site. Then I got home and checked the herald site and obama's win had been announced and i cried.

All night long, my wife and I were glued to our computers, refreshing poll counts on three or four different websites. We had live feeds from a couple different newscasts going.
When the election was called for Obama we both looked at each other and choked up. With tears in our eyes we hugged.

I was the girl who ran up and hugged you under the gigantic American flag. One of the most surreal moments of my life. Thank you.

The tingles ran up and down my body all night as I re-watched his speech. Called my wife cause I couldn't stand to celebrate by myself in a hotel room.

But the best moment of all is reading the testimonials above on this page and knowing that I'm not alone in my hope and excitement. My eyes water just thinking about it.

I came home from the bar to find that McCain was making his speech. I began to mist up. The moment that Obama came on, I began to full-out sob. I was so happy that I cried all the way through. It was my first election and...well...forgive me for my pettiness, but I WON! I can't even imagine what would happen if this wasn't the outcome.....I would have moved back to Cananda...

I am thoroughly opposed to what Obama intends to do as President, though to make it clear, I am thoroughly opposed to what McCain would have done just as much. To paraphrase Bioshock (and yeah, I know, that game is supposed to be critiquing my position): One says your soul belongs to the State, the other says that it belongs to everyone.

I consoled myself eventually in the fact that evil is impotent and that ultimately, it must and will fail.

i couldn't handle the early projections. i had chugged a bit of irish courage when i got home to settle my spirits a bit, and settled on the couch to text and call with new developments. i ended up spending a lot of hte night on speakerphone with my sister in law, dancing in front of the television, and crying with awe and joy and redemption. we really DO get it! we really CAN have it! all is not lost! hope lives.

i cried and shook when he spoke, and was even proud of mccain for being so dignified after the fact. i think we can do this.

What an eye opener, watching all this from outside the US. I spent most of my time with Al Jazeera, and I have to say it was REALLY refreshing to steer away from the US and UK media for a while. The world is rejoicing!
I couldn't stay conscious past about 3 AM. Some time after 4, my mother texted me and I knew that we wouldn't be waiting for days on tenderhooks, thank God. How could I continue to sleep? I got up and turned on the TV in time to catch the last 1/2 of Obama's speech and there in the dark I wept uncontrollably with relief as I watched all those faces, so colourful, so young, and so full of hope.

Today I finally rediscovered that I have pride in America, and in being an American, and that I don't have to apologise anymore to my Western European friends when they inevitably ask me "How? Why?" If they could have voted, they would have made the same choice we did. And they are as excited as we are.

I played background music at the local Democratic Committee victory party with my band - we renamed ourselves "Joe the Band" for the night. Fun, except we were always the last ones to know what was going on! Saw McCain's concession as we tore down, and got home in time for Obama's speech. I livechatted highlights with a friend who doesn't have TV or high speed Internet. Towards the end, it reminded me of the rhythm of a service in a black church - call and response, and building emotion.

I have been passionate about the political process for years, but never have I felt so connected. The Internet is a powerful tool for bringing people and ideas together.

I was at an election party with friends, not all of whom were Democrat but all young, professional, intelligent people who are sick of Bush and sick of the GOP hijacked by the neocon fundy right wing soulless neocolonialist, neonationalist, neofascist types old, white, hate-filled types. So despite a bunch of registered people with different parties we all came together for change, to see change happen before our eyes, and to end eight years of hell, and potentially four more.

It was a good night, though there's much work ahead, hard work, the type of stuff the rich right-wing GOP hate, and will try to destroy almost like they tried to destroy America in America and to the world, I have dare I say optimism that Obama and youth and the people that voted can return America to a people of the people, for the people, and by the people. Haters be damned.

Cheers!

Sneaking into the Obama rally just before he was announced as president elect. Listening as the loudspeaker was drowned out by the cheers of everyone in Grant Park before the sentence was even finished.

As I watched the returns, I was happy that we were voting evil and incompetence out. But I am afraid for Barack Obama. I don't know if he's the man who can clean up the ginormous messes created by the current administration. I don't know if anyone can undo the damage that has been done or rehabilitate America's image with the rest of the world.

At first I was watching Lord of the Rings last night actually (I'm Canadian) but my roommate kept coming downstairs with updates ("Obama's leading!") and I just had to switch to CBC. I thought it was pretty funny that they were paying such close attention to the celebrations outside the white house, like they expected it to get violent. Actually I thought it was kind of odd that there was a huge Red Communist flag being carried aloft in that group.. When I heard John McCain's speech I was disturbed by those that thought it necessary to boo when Obama was mentioned. At least when Obama mentioned McCain in his speech, that crowd cheered. I was very moved by Obama's speech and I feel myself filled with a sense of hope, even though I am not American. I also feel like I can't say anything bad about America anymore, it has redeemed itself.

The dress made her look pregnant.

B.O. mentioned sacrifice in his acceptance speech last night - that means you. Not just "the rich". You've been duped.

(From Ze: 1) What does this have to do with this post...and 2) I am perfectly willing to sacrifice. That is what it means to be a citizen)

I'm from London, UK: not a state, a state of mind. There was a great deal of excitement over here as we waited with trepidation to find out whether the world was doomed (only a slight exaggeration). The university bar at King's College London, where I study, was staying open until 6am with the BBC coverage on every monitor. Election parties were being thrown, they're like normal parties except the tv's on. I sat in my pyjamas glued to my laptop. I was poised to go to bed but waiting for the results of the next state to come in, and then the next, and then the next. I was poised to go to bed for about 3 hours... Eventually I keeled over onto my mattress but soon waking up to find a short text on my phone sent at 4am: "Obama won!!!". With that, I breathed a small sigh of relief and went back to sleep with a smile on my face.

(From Ze: Good to hear a dissenting voice. I have been visiting the comments sections of foxnews and youtube for the past few weeks to remind myself of how divided we are. What I am consistently struck by is the outright racism that surfaces over and over again. On one page of 200 comments beneath a youtube Obama speech I counted 26 n-words - all used in the worst way. I understand the view that there are crackpots on both sides but in this case the crackpots are so severe and so threatening - there were actual calls for assassination - i kept a screenshot. As an African American woman, I would like to know your thoughts on this - does the GOP need to fracture in order to distance itself from that force?)

I think it's a mistake to attribute all racism to the GOP. I myself was surprised at the enormous amount of sexism that was coming directly from the "progressive" (I put that in quotes because you can't call yourself a true progressive and revel in the wanton sexism that has been exhibited this entire campaign.) side of the isle. I was under the mistake delusion that only Republicans are openly sexist, and was shocked and disappointed at the behavior of this country this past year.

Swinging this back to your point...I think, as I said, that the GOP is in not the only one's on the hook for such racial divisiveness. Bigotry knows no party, skin color or class. And given there was a lot of people who were called racist who weren't...there was a fair amount of backlash and resentment because of that fact.

Random internet people who use the "N" word on the internet are more than likely provocateurs...and thought policing those trouble makers isn't going to heal the very deep divide that was caused by both Democrats and Republicans.

None of my friends (in Portland, OR) have cable television. so after casting around for a while, we came up with the notion of renting a room at a trashy motel. Something like fifteen people showed up, we were tightly packed. Things started getting a little blurry after a rum&coke and a gin&tonic, but when John Stewart said the magic words we hastily flipped the channel to CNN to see the speeches. We shouted and jumped up and down (at risk of angering the motel, who had no idea about the party). Then four of us decided we had to see the city, and we strode out toward MLK blvd, where a victory march was rumored.
Everyone we passed cheered. Every car honked.
A man stopped to say "they say he's black but he's half-white- he's both! He's president of all of us! Can you spare any change?" and we emptied our pockets for him.
and we walked down MLK and found a few other pockets of celebrants, but no march. Eventually we made it to the convention center, with the Oregon Democrats were wrapping up their own watching parties. We milled about with them for a few minutes, then caught a train back.

I was working at the local Teen Center. Southern Californian small town.

8:00pm The last kids there last night were watching loud hip hop music videos on the computers and waiting for the election results. They're restless. They move on to a loud game of air hockey. Then loud pool. Fired up. "Fool, you know he's gonna win!" XXL Obama tshirts, corn rows, fake gold chains, swaggers.

8:30 I stand at the doorway to the game room and announce, "Obama won!" I'm excited to share thie news with them. Expect more loud to come out of them. But they're not yelling. They're smiling. Man, they look proud. Someone lays down his pool stick, "Yeah. That's right."

9:00 Obama's giving his speech. The kids are watching. The conversation turns, "Y'all know they're gonna kill him now, right? No way they're lettin him in the White House." Everybody nods their heads in agreement.

Dancing in the streets in Seattle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qL-CgzQ0FY

After the rally, walking to where my bike was locked up about five blocks north of grant park, I have never seen the city so happy. The streets were completely blanketed with people. Some were standing on the medians in the middle of the road. Once in a while someone would shout "Obama" and everyone would cheer for thirty seconds. I rode my bike away from the loop and joined a massive bike train all headed back to my neighborhood, Ukranian Villiage. Stopped at an intersection, one of the bikers yelled, "Bikers for Obama." Everyone cheered. I've never felt so much apart of Chicago or the Country.

among the mobillions in grant park in chicago.
thousands celebrate together. amazing.
phontos on flickr:
http://flickr.com/photos/zambony

One of my oldest and dearest friends joined me at my house. As we watched the East Coast returns come in, on CBS--the channel my rabbit ears pick up the best--we nervously drank vodka tonics and revisited memories from election night 2004. The disenchantment, the anger, the fights we got into. Things started to look promising, and we colored blank maps of the U.S. red and blue as more states continued to report.

Ohio was called, and we opened our bottle $4 champagne-with-a-little-c. As we practiced our electoral arithmetic and realized that the race was almost won, the celebratory drinking increased. Outside, we could hear shouts of joy from Manuel's Tavern--probably the epicenter of liberal political activity in Atlanta, named for Manuel Maloof.

We ate tacos and killed the bottle of Andre while we listened to Obama's speech, not speaking except for admiring his most eloquent turns of phrase...

"our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared."

"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."

" And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can."

haha, I thought the same thing as you Ze about the dress. My night was actually kind of low key. College life being what it is, the election has been one of few conversation topics this entire week (read entire past 2 months).
So finally around 8? Some friends and I relaxed in a lounge to watch the reports come in. About 5 of the 10 on computers and the TV being flipped among the various stations.
It looked like a pretty good giveaway -- Penn swinging as it did and the other states being strongly blue, so it was just kind of us hanging out. We heard Jon Stewart say President Obama and thought he was joking until we switched to CNN. Saw McCain's speech. It made everything that evening real. The room felt like New Years or something, a holiday of sorts.

I went up to my room to study and did get to see Obama's speech as well.

Looking back on it, it is weird to realize how profound this event already is. I found out about Proposition 8 (Cali! what the hell?) before bed and was slightly miffed, but the news of the evening really prevented me from being unhappy.

I was at a hockey game yesterday but I still had a very chilling moment.

During the third intermission of the game, they put up CNN on the Jumbotron, showing Obama as the President-Elect. The entire arena erupted into applause... it was amazing.

Keep in mind that this isn't even in the USA. This game was in Canada, and this game was in the vastly conservative part of Canada, Alberta. A province that hasn't voted Liberal since the early 1900's. Yet Obama was above party lines... it was a great experience, much better than any network political analysis would have ever been.

my experience:

after watching on tv last night and reading all of these posts it is indeed hard to not get weepy at spots.

my husband and I [in our 40s] watched home alone, a blue candle of hope near the tv [prayer or witchcraft? -both]
once it was pretty much clear and announced, we both felt major solid connections to our dead fathers:
His, a true WWII hero,jewish lefty, and an early civil rights activist from Baltimore, and mine, a jazz-loving Harlem irish guy who lived a zen philosophy that transcended all religion,race,class + culture politics and made me the multiculti sponge i am.
we cried hard at how they would have felt. we felt their pride.
and then, surprisingly, again... at the idea that children today will grow up with this man as a model, as a face for our country that we might actually be proud of and not ashamed of....to travel just knowing that!!!!!!!
and then just seeing all those people all over the world joyfully dancing, esp in Africa, just bodyslammed me.
and it was real time.....now....simultaneous to my eyes and heart.....a GOOD thing in real time.........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and also I felt a long deep glance sideways, at all the people who are in sort of the same unsteady place as I am now, and just as nervous as I am about simply getting by in the near future and not losing too much ground.
can we drop our isolated selfishness? can we spend our energy and resources in a way that helps more people some instead of one person alot??? where are the lines between vanity and necessity??? between control and charity?

i think the Obama whitehouse needs to institute a wing of translators who will put ideas and words into forms ALL can understand. this will be the first internet savvy president. whoah. that plus ethics could actually change the world.

on closing this rambling post [you opened the door mr ze!] I must relate a clear dream I had about a month+ ago [just pre-Palin]. maybe you or your readers can make sense of it. I had barely been paying attention to the campaigns till my husband had alot of tv on that week.

I dreamt I was a young nanny for some generic wealthy family who had 2 huge houses on the hudson river. huge stone estate type places ...the bigger one was the showier place, right up close to the public road [9w?] and almost on the river. Back almost half a mile was a smaller house, more modern and in woods where I mainly watched the kids [2 or 3 young kids, not clear]
So the owners have told me they are 'lending' the house to the Obama campaign and that we needed to stay out of the way in the back house while all the press stuff happens up in the front.
So the day begins and I am under the impression that I am alone with the kiddies in the back house. I can see lots of limos and stuff happening up the driveway and the sun is just hitting the trees across the river. I wonder if the Obamas will have alot of security and assume they dont have their kids at this....
Then the kitchen door swings open and Barack Obama strides in...alone and clearly assessing the kitchen.
I am sorta freaked, being a teenager, and wait for an entourage and then realize he is alone. He open the refridgerator, stares very seriously at it;s contents, and turns to me and says " OK, lets get started here" and rolls up his sleeves.
I shush the noisy young kids [whom he has ignored] into the next room, and act like I knew all along he was coming there, but I am sort of at a loss for what he wants me to do. I wait for him to grab some food and leave but he seems to be assessing.
I look into the huge expensive industrial refridgerator and feel guilty that it is not exactly clean and definitely full of expensive food that will most likely not be eaten before it is bad. He is almost chipper as he is scanning it. "Let's get going now, we've got a lot of work to do." he says and I realize to my teenage horror that he clearly wants me to clean out the WHOLE fridge. And it;s not even my house! or my food! [tho I eat it] and not even that dirty! just disorganized!
I try to buy time by stammering "Um, so is your wife coming back here?" hoping that he'll leave and she will be nicer and expect less of me. "My wife is a very busy woman, a very busy woman!" he smiles for a flash and then fixes me again with an earnest stare. " Ok, now, we've got alot of work, and it's time to start" I am still freaked in a particularly teenage way that I am alone with this famous guy and he has a job for me! but this???
he is being reasonable yet stern as he allows me NO room to worm out of this expectation that seems clear to him but is new to me. I can't however, argue in any way that wouldn't just sound lame, so I begin to sort the lowest shelf as he stands there. The kids are fine in the next room without me and he seems in no hurry to leave, and I wonder if he will just get me started and then finally leave. I think to myself that I am surprised I like him because he is just like a smart teacher in a way, who can be a huge dick at times but who is annoyingly nice and factually + ethically RIGHT enough that you really can't win in any arguments with them. I grimly face my work and hope his wife calls him to something more important ...then it gets scrambled and fades.....

......ok HOW funny is that? I woke up annoyed as hell and yet just CONVINCED Obama was the only choice we should make. I am far more left than his ideas, and I think he and Hillary both are more conservative than most of we nyc-ers would like, but clearly his character is a positive factor here....even subconsciously for me at least. no one political has ever showed up in my dreams....and I am known to have had more than quite a few of my dreams come true......so I'll try to be ready and willing for the clean-up!!!!!

~cheers!
EF

Obama Wins …
There is a still, a quiet in me, as I think of all we have lost in the last eight years.

I am surprised - I am not standing up and cheering,
I wish I were jubilant, but I’m just filled with relief.

What if the last eight years have changed me,
stolen my ability to believe, or hope

I hear myself say “We are all going to be ok. We NOW have a chance to fix all these shattered things”

I reach for the hope that would make that statement true, but all I find are tears.

As I quietly sob, I feel my heart opening up, finding the seeds of hope, I will plant for this new day.

I had to work last night (I work from home, often) so I spent a lot of the evening in front of the computer, with NPR streaming in the background, and their electoral map in a corner of my screen. Refresh, refresh, refresh.
Constantly checked facebook status of the friends who have been as obsessed with this election as I was, taking turns posting the latest numbers and what each network was saying. Refresh, refresh, refresh.
I took a break and watched Stewart/Colbert when they came on, so my official notice of the win came from Jon Stewart. Great to hear it from him, because I knew he was psyched. I cried.
Would have liked to be out with friends, but I had enough happy to fill the room all by myself.

Well I hope now Obama going to be a good president, but it already looks like he not going to keep any of his promises, Last night in his speech he said, he mite not be able to do anything in the first Year or even in his FIrst term, Tell you this right now,, he will not make a second term,,THinking he can sit on his lazy ass, thinking he just got a job at the DMV and take his time, If something don't happen in 2 years he Dust,

(From Ze: ok. but how about talking about last night - the actual night - what you did, etc.. through your eyes...that's what we are doing here)

That note from Jody V made me sad.

She was not able to feel this great feeling that I felt.

You don't have to post this on, Ze, but I wanted to say it.

In the morning of the 4th, I went to school. I live in New York, and my school is very, very, liberal, and no one could concentrate. People were freaking out. We spent all of US History class on polling websites, talked about the election all through english. No one could sit still. We were all worried; one girl turned and said to me, "If Obama doesn't win, I can't go to college!" Not everyone was there; some friends of mine were in Pennsylvania, campaigning.

I walked home with my friend after school. We passed a public school on 97th street and got some election day bakesale goodies. There was a feeling of anticipation in the air, and nervous hope.

My friend left me outside the campaign office where she works to do some final election day business. I crossed the street and saw that a jazz club near my house had absolutely covered themselves in Obama stickers, and was tying hundreds of blue balloons that said "Yes We Can" on them to their front barricades. I went over and asked for a balloon. It followed me the rest of the way home, and into my bedroom.

Around 7pm, I turned on the TV to watch the beginnings of election results. We turned it off briefly during dinner and then turned it on, our eyes glued to the screen the entire time.

When Obama reached 220, I flipped out. California would send it to 275, enough for a victory. As soon as California was called, I jumped up, told my parents, and ran to my computer. My friend who goes to Mt. Holyoke called me on skype so I could hear her college. I could hear hundreds of screaming girls through my computer speakers. My other friend, who lives two blocks away from me, called me. "OH MY GOD!" she said. "I'M STANDING ON MY FIRE ESCAPE, SCREAMING! CAN YOU HEAR BROADWAY FROM HERE? IT'S A MADHOUSE!"

I watched McCain's concession speech and Obama's victory speech in a daze. When my mom saw Jesse Jackson on the screen she started crying. She grew up in Birmingham, Alabama in the 1960s, went to a school where she didn't know any black people. She couldn't believe it. I loved what Obama said. Because this is only the beginning. We still have a lot of work to do. But now we have that opportunity.

Something huge changed last night. I went to school this morning and the air was...hopeful. For the first time since I was eight years old, I feel proud of my country's choices, and happy to be living at this time in history.

my friend max and i went to vote during our free period at school. he held my mittens while i voted for the first time in my life. (i was so excited and nervous!) i turned 18 in september and his birthday is in february, so only i voted for real. we came back to my house and watched cnn for a while and had to go back to school for our worthless 6th periods that we considered skipping, but didnt.

after school we came back to my house and camped out watching cnn with our laptops showing 5 different maps that filled in slowly as the numbers came in and the political channel on twitter open watching peoples comments fly by at less than a comment per second.

it started off scary, because of the population on the east coast. we were both a bit tense. max thought it was obviously in the bag for obama and i was much much more nervous because i dont trust the american populace to vote how i want them to. but we lightened up as cnn's "hollogram" woman came on to talk to wolf. i made a starwars joke that max rolled is eyes at. (help me obi won kanobi! youre my only hope! *poke*) it was so horrible looking we both had to laugh. they had a cool board that would pull out drawers of demographics of voters. and "ac", anderson cooper, (whom we make fun of for trying to be hip) came in half way looking a bit dazed.

but faster than i thought it would be.... it was over. they called california, oregon, and washington as soon as the polls closed. and cnn was the first to call it. elections are like crack for them. the speeches were both beautiful. im sad to see mccain leave the public eye, he gave nice speeches. obama really made me believe in him all over again. michelles dress was one of the worst things ive ever seen... someone on the political twitter said she looked like a black widow spider and max and i laughed quite hard.

my friend laurel has been working on the campaign for obama and i saw her at school this morning in a tshirt that said 'yes we did'... she was positively beaming. i proudly voted for obama. im happy he won, im a bit relieved the campaigning is over. i KNOW that i am, for the first time in my life, proud of what my country has done. but it still doesnt feel like it happened. im just waiting for it to all disappear.

My seven-year-old made his very own Go Obama sign, with a gianormous O before bama. At 9:15 CT sleepily asked me to keep holding it up in front of the tv, then said, "Wake me up when Obama wins."

When they finally called it, my eleven-year-old leaned over and whispered in the little one's ear: "We won."

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Fashion-Week-Michelle-Obama-Narciso-Rodriguez/photo//081105/482/16df9b80f5b546679cc11a90e79b6c57/;_ylt=ApZ2wdFoHRI9VRUP7Zp8cV4DW7oF

A photo of the dress and mention of the designer who came up with Michelle Obama's "interesting" selection.

I live in what I consider or should I say considered a RUBY RED state.

I went to see Barack Obama on Monday.

I stood so close to him which was a miracle.

I knew I would regret not seeing him regardless of the outcome. I went by myself but for once I knew I would be amongst friends.

The day before I worked on the campaign.

The next day I canvassed and worked on his campaign.

I first ran screaming through my house with the end of Sununu.

I then screamed because we won PA.

As the country turned bluer and bluer I went into a state of shock. I wanted (and predicted) Georgia to join the blue. But I am still amazed by IN and NC.

Florida! FLORIDA!!! FLORIDA!?!!?

And I could not sleep. I watched McCain's concession. I stayed awake for Obama's acceptance. I wept and then became inconsolable when I saw Jesse Jackson joining me.

Today, in this Ruby Red State, I embraced and cried with perfect and complete Strangers. I worked the campaign with hope but little faith.

I want the promise of this Hope to not be a Dream and I will work my fucking ass off to make sure this is not a dream, not a nightmare but pure and simple Reality.

And Today the air is sweeter despite my "bitter gunowner" neighbors and all the rednecks who laughingly want to move to Canada (who is far more Socialist and higher Taxed than anywhere here).

This is not the end, you bastards. This is not Jimmy Carter (who had NO congressional experience) and he is not Bill Clinton (goddess I hope he is not and does not turn into a trashy philandering bastard in that way).

This is the Beginning. Only the beginning.

And I want a puppy too!!!

The excitement of my seven-year-old really made the night for me.

He was coloring in an electoral college map that his teacher gave him as states were called. As we got him ready for bed, he said. “I think he might really win.” It was really difficult for him to fall asleep, but he finally made it.

When the election was called, we woke him up after a couple minutes of trying. He stared at the screen half-asleep for a minute before it actually sunk in. “SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET!” and then…right back asleep.

We are in the heart of neo-con territory. He had to deal with kids at school calling him a Dumbocrat after their parents found out we were supporting Obama. The happiness on his face this morning is the best thing about the entire week.

Thanks, America. I owe you.

having recently had knee surgery, i pulled the coffee table as close to the couch as i could, rested my knee on top and got ready for what i knew either way would be a historical evening. also, the coffee table was full of snacks.

my knuckles were white from the intense grip i had on the remote control, flipping between cnn, msnbc, cbs, abc, fox news, and every other combination of letters you can think of.

at one point i started to get a teeny bit overwhelmed with all the numbers, freaky holograms, and red/blue/white/yellow states on the map. i went to my DVR and watched old episodes of scrubs and the office. then i watched food network and ate.

all the while, i tried to convince myself that no matter what, it'd be ok. i kept glancing down at my "i voted today" sticker and wondered what every other american was thinking. how happy, angry, euphoric, pissed off, inspired they might be. and that regardless of conflicting emotions, we'd somehow have to find a way to get on with it and grow as a nation. what can i say? food network has a profound effect on me.

i decided it was time to get back to the news. at this point, obama had a considerable, comfortable lead. my heart felt like it was going to explode. i had goosebumps at the thought.

i was so fucking happy. but it wasn't over yet.

my good leg started bouncing, i had a stomach full of tasty snacks and now, my fingernails. my palms were getting clammy.

then it happened. it felt like lightening in my veins. i hopped up on my good leg, grabbed my crutches and did a funny dance.

in my modest city, in my modest neighborhood, in my modest home, in my modest livingroom... i felt like the richest person in the world.

www.isobamapresident.com

In anticipation of an old friend's funeral, i watched The Big Chill instead of the TV. Why bother worrying watching a kettle boil? (But i kept the TV on in the other room.) As the credits rolled, i heard "...concession speech..." and thought WTF, it's been called already?? So i watched the McCain fans boo their dark nemesis and then watched Obama's fans applaud their former rival. It stil hasn't sunk in, but i've been elated ever since, just in case it does.

Finally, we really are living in The Future.

I've never felt an emotional reaction like that in my life. I was hoping against hoping against hope . . . or something like that . . . expecting court battles and ickiness and stolen votes. This whole election I have been trying to ignore the dread that would steal over me and focus on the gut instinct that told me that Barack was the guy, and somehow, this awful nightmare of the past eight years would really come to its end. I didn't know how hard I was hoping until I learned that he won. On the one hand, I wish I could have gone to the parties Id been invited to to share this moment, but on balance, it's better that I didn't. My joy gave way to hysterical tears/laughter and breathing problems for the entire 20 minutes of the acceptance speech . . . repetitive babbling like they were aerobics: "Oh My God" 20 times, followed by "He did it!" 20 times, followed by, "They did it!" ten times followed by "We did it!!" 15 times. Repeat. Would have been totally useless in a social situation. I've been through some good stuff in my life, but I think that this was probably the very best day of my life so far. It means so much. Choice protected, Supreme court and judicial appointments, Democratic support, the return of Habeas Corpus, the demise of cronies and numskulls, diplomacy ascending, energy alternatives taking off . . . on and on. What it could have been for yet another four years makes me feel nauseous . . . that we dodged that horrible scrape is awesome. And I believe that Obama will be one of the best Presidents America has ever seen. I have heard the terms post-racial, post-partisan a lot in the last 24 hours and instead of the pinched and resigned, or sour and angry, or closed and mean expressions we have all gotten used to wearing here in the US I am seeing joy and hope on everyone's faces --- REAL hope for the future . . . I want to uphold that vibe. It sounds good to me. I am so, so, so happy that Obama won.

Got off work at four. Walked to the Division stop and headed to Jackson. Crossed into Grant Park on the north side of Congress. Security. Jumbotrons. Obamapalooza. Yes we did! Yes we did! Sea of people over Michigan, over State, over Jackson and Adams. Voices carrying into the canyon of the sky.

I had the face a great student riding in my mind. Floating above my head like a thought balloon as I switched from refreshing the local board of elections results to the NYT map.

Each time I zoomed in on OH, his face zoomed larger too.

I have had many exceptional black students. They have heard my and my colleagues' high expectations and beliefs in their potentials. But always, just at the tail end of a conversation, there has been a slight turn away. Like doubt was tugging at our realities and calling our mutual dreams pure fantasy. No proof.

"Not any more. Not any more. Dammit. No more turning away." I kept thinking it and mumbling it. Distracting myself and keeping watch.

I would not turn on the television until I knew for sure it was safe.

And then I cried because now, neither of us can ever turn away again the way we did just a few days ago.

Yeah, there is work to be done. We all know that. Still, it is a new day for me and my kids. We have proof of possibility and nobody doubts it. There will be no turning away. Not any more.

Ah - last night - finally go thome from teaching and managed to eat some dinner before going to the Des Moines Drinking Liberally party held in our East Village. Before I got in the car, I heard that PA had gone Obama - yes! In the car - NPR calls OH for Obama - wow - he's really going to win! I was jumping up and down in my seat all the way downtown.

Everyone was excited at the bar, and they had 3 stations going - a bit confusing, and took many of us away from each other and into the media. One guy was checking congressional wins and state by state presidential wins on his laptop. When Iowa was called for Obama, the room erupted - even though this result was expected.

The countdown: 10, 9, 8...We all cheered as the elction was called for Obama. One of the DL organizers ran around crying happily for at least 10 minutes as she hugged everyone. We were all so happy, but wanted to know about Minnesota- pres and legislature. As I type, I think i should check on Franken.

We watched McCain concede: a gracious speech, calling for the right things he wouldn't demand during his campaign. Boos from the crowd at the mention of Obama's name: why can't that man take a page from Barack and silence the boos? Todd Palin looks sad. We at the bar are cheering the whole way.

We watched Obama accept: cheers for him, for referring to Iowa, for accepting with humility. Yes, he's being handed shit on a platter in this gig (see Onion article that you link to), and he knows it. Obama was smart enough to say we all need to work - together, and things will take time. He didn't gloat over this true mandate, but he did smile gladly and kept his even keel as per usual.

Eventually some of us got on the dance floor and kept trying to get others to come up - some did. All I could think of to do to celebrate was dance; i was so happy. I know that the road ahead is filled with cracks, pot holes, detours, but believe we have a leader who can set the course justly. Obama has exhibited leadership throughout this campaign. While i disagree with him on a few issues (and didn't caucus for him), his ability has shown through and I was able to vote *for* Obama rather than *against* McCain/Palin. People danced and took video in the street before we all left to go home. Damn, we were so happy and relieved that this was a victory party and nota call to demonstrate in the streets.

I called my friends not at the party and my relatives on the East Coast who were pro or leaning Obama. Even my step brother voted Obama - he helped put VA in the blue! Now I had to read from all you about your night to lengthen the celebration before I finally stop procrastinating and do a little work. Thank you all for contributing to this excitement! Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I will never forget where I was. I am from Chicago and was devastated I couldn't be there in Grant Park last night. But I did get to vote here in the great state of Ohio. I was with friends here at Ohio Wesleyan University. Jon Stewart gave us the news. I shouted! Then the speech. So overwhelming. So powerful. I was so moved. So moved.

I had to drive an hour and a half to vote, but I got to vote with my (Republican) father. Even though we've spent the past 6 months arguing the merits of our candidates and although I doubt he and I will ever politically see eye-to-eye, it was so nice to share a truly American moment with my dad and exercise our rights together.

Afterwards, I headed back to go to an election party. We sat around coloring in our little electoral maps. When Pennsylvania was called we all high-fived each other. When Ohio was called, hope started bubbling up, but we were reluctant to get too excited too fast. When it was finally announced, we sat in silence for a moment, too stunned and excited to speak. Then all the whooping and hollering began and hugging each other. Each of our phones began ringing and buzzing with frantic text messages from loved ones and friends.

I've always felt that this was a pretty great country, but as I watched it all unfold on tv, for the first time in a very long time, I was extremely proud to be an American. I could believe that the phrase "All men are created equal" wasn't just a hollow slogan. Still dissapointed in prop 8 though....I believe that the sanctity of a marriage is defined not by the gender of each partner, but by the commitment of each partner.

I'm in Brooklyn Heights for the semester to study art... it's been really lonely, and my work hasn't been the best, but Tuesday night made me glad to be here. I was watching the Colbert-Steward coverage when they announced Barack as the winner... outside my window I heard people cheering like mad. People were running down the halls screaming, cars and trucks were honking their horns... a friend of mine from Philly texted me as she and others crowded around a car stereo to hear the acceptance speech. She was crying, I was crying. It was wonderful. I am so proud of this country right now... I haven't felt this way in a loooong time.

Got up at 5:30am. Yes We Can.

Arrived at the Democratic Party headquarters at 7am. Yes We Can.

Data Entry to prep for GOTV. Yes We Can.

Answered phones for the Voter Hotline. Yes We Can.

Made Phone Calls to remind people to GOTV. Yes We Can.

Heard they needed help at the South DeKalb Campaign for Change -- drove over and the difference was night and day. It was like the white water fountain and the colored water fountain. Doesn't matter right now. Yes We Can.

Cleaned the bathroom, cleaned the kitchen, set out water and snacks, made posters by hand..."Rosa sat, so Martin could walk, so Barack could run, so our children can fly." "You are the change -- Stay in Line '08" Yes We Can.

Canvassed a depressed neighborhood -- it's a beautiful day. 70 and sunny. I am the most melanin-challenged person in sight. "No, I'm not here to audit you, I'm with the Obama campaign." Did you vote? Do you need a ride? Did you have a long line? Was there any funny business? Yes We Can.

Little black boy, 6 years old: "I voted today!" His mother, "He did, he dragged his aunt out, she wasn't going to vote. She let him push the screen for Obama." Yes We Can.

Group of black elementary school children: "You're with the Obama campaign? Obama! Obama! Obama!" Yes We Can.

Drove voters to the polls....18 year old single mother: "Will you stay with me? Can you drive me home too?" Got her to the polls at 6:50pm. Yes We Can.

Elementary school gym -- cut outs of children who are drug free: "When I grow up, I want to be president." Yes We Can.

Watching Stewart/Colbert, they just called it for Obama. CNN confirms. Yes We Did.

Tried to call family members in other parts of the country/world -- all lines were busy. Yes We Did.

Went to bed. Yes We Did.

Woke up the next morning to a GA-Senate run-off. Yes We Can.

I sat in my dorm's lobby, glued alternately to the tv and my laptop. I laughed as CNN called safe states with 0% of voters reporting, as if something had changed to make their (obviously correct) predictions definitely true. I kept marveling at the stark contrast between NYTimes' numbers and everyone else's (since NYTimes wasn't calling anything until at least some votes were in). When Ohio (my state) was called for Obama, I felt a surge of pride for many of my fellow students, knowing how much work had gone into that victory (I made phone calls for Obama, but not until Sunday, so I couldn't take too much credit). When Obama was declared the winner, I looked away from the tv/laptop long enough to notice that, of the roughly 35 people who were in the room, I was almost the only white male, and one of the few people who wasn't African-American. I saw on the faces of those around me a sense of pride, hopefulness, and gratitude I don't think I'd ever seen before. I sat back amazed as huge numbers of people poured into the lobby from outside, running up to friends, hugging them, crying, dancing, and chanting "yes we can". As coverage of people's responses from around the world (Chicago, New York, LA, Kenya, Japan, France) poured in, showing mobs of rejoicing individuals, dancing, and parades in the streets, I began to realize just how monumental this all was.

My vision was blurred with tears at several points in Obama's speech: "it's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, hispanic, asian, native american, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled", "it's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.", "[My campaign] grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy", "to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President, too. And all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular but our destinies are shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.", "...and to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright, tonight we've 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.", and pretty much everything from the "yes we can" portion on.

Near the end of the speech, I noticed that the room had been perfectly, pindroppingly quiet the entire time. As I looked around, I realized that people from elsewhere in the dorm had come downstairs to watch, and that at the moment, there were tears in most everyone's eyes. I had never felt prouder to be an American.

I wept. I wept with joy. I have never had an emotional reaction to any election. But I wept. Happy tears.

I was nervous too, I was pretty sure that Obama would win, when it became very clear he would I was a bit relieved (though I did vote for Nader... again.) Prop 8 (elminating gay marriage in CA) had me far more nervous and very sad as the night went on. The No On 8 Campaign sent me an email today conceding that we lost. Difficult future indeed.

I voted for Obama. I stood in line for 3 and 1/2 hrs to vote for Obama. I voted for him because he gives me hope . I voted for him because he is smarter than I am. I voted for him because I was raised, by my mother and as MLK so perfectly put it, to not judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I did not watch the news insanity because I hate the 24hr news networks with a passion. I actually caught flack from my aunt the next morning because I wasn't losing my mind with joy because a black man was elected President. I told her that is not why I voted for him. I didn't care what color he was and I hope that that was not the reason everyone else voted for him. If it is, then call guiness and get it over with. She razzed me about how I didn't come from her generation when segregation was around so I didn't get how big of a deal this was for her.
I knew my mom was going to vote for McCain but I called my mom that evening to see how voting went for her anyway. She said there was no line, so she parked right at the front door. When she got out of her car, she was greeted with an Obama supporter giving out pamphlets. My mom turned the guy down and told him to keep the pamphlet. The guy sneered and said something to the affect of "what. You don't want to see a black man in office?!" My mom replied "It's none of your business who I'm voting for." and turned to walk inside. As she walked away, the Obama supporter called my mom a racist. The woman who raised a son who actually voted for Obama was called a racist.
I really hope that isn't a sign of things to come.

For me I'd say that it has been an odd couple of days.

It was really cold and windy in Los Angeles. I live near the border of Inglewood, Ladera Heights and Baldwin Hills. As soon as they called it we heard horns honking through the wind. Quite wonderful. Although it is a shame about all the propositions that were passed out here.

Bozeman, MT: On the way to work, there were Obama supporters standing in the freezing cold holding up signs at the intersection. I held out the plate of O-shaped gingerbread cookies I'd frosted with the Obama logo the night before, and yelled "Cookies for Obama!" They were thrilled to get the cookies.

I had to work all day, (I voted early) but my daughter walked to the Obama campaign office after school and did some last calls. "That's the last time I make calls for Obama," she said, irritated that all of the people on the list had already been called about 6 times that day. I just replied happily, "Yeah! It is!"

After work I took blue cornbread to our friend's house for chili and election viewing. I hid in the kitchen, afraid to watch the early returns. When Mr. McCain spoke, we all jumped on the couch like they do in the Simpson's opener, and sat silent, thankful that he seemed sincerely eager to support the Obama presidency. Why hadn't he acted more like this in the debates?

The Obama family looked so beautiful, we were so proud of them, and of ourselves, as Americans. Now we know how that feels. And it feels good. We knew we'd better not start crying or we wouldn't be able to stop.

Later, at home, I rechecked the returns, worried that they'd have changed after all the precincts reported. My daughter said, "Stop obsessing, mom. He's really our president."

That's when I realized that we have a leader now... that we don't have to stand by helplessly watching a dangerous juggernaut of a government anymore... That the vehicle we're riding in may still be approaching the cliff, but at least there's a driver, now. I felt like someone who has survived a trauma. Shaken, but relieved. That's when I cried a little.

We in Ireland are over the moon re your election to PRESIDENT OF AMERICA. Never was there somuch excitement regarding you . You are fantastic and I wish you the very best of health and good luck to yourself and your family. I will pray for you every day to keep you safe to do the work you have to do.Anne Mc Shortall.

I recently came to Chicago for grad school.
I've never lived in a big city.
I've never seen so many people.
I've never walked down Michigan avenue with a few hundred thousand friends.
I've never been so hopeful.
I've never been so proud of my own state, Florida.
I've never felt so bad for a man I didn't support.
I've never felt my heart burst at the sight of a politician.
I've never cried with strangers over the words of a man I will likely never meet.
I've never known a leader who I felt really cared for us.
I've never felt so American.

Not even a week after the president election the blond topblogger from Sweden, Linda Ekholm speaks out loud about Obama!
And I really believe this is truly written by heart. Scary!

http://www.finest.se/userBlog/?uid=30701&beid=1040511

I wasn't paying attention to the race. Too much stress. I couldn't sleep though. Turned on the TV. Saw the results. I was in shock, didn't know quite how to react, so I just turned off the TV and was finally able to sleep. It didn't hit me til the next morning as I listened to NPR on the drive to work what we had really done the night before...and then I got a huge lump in my throat and teared up for a few minutes, listening to others speak about what an amazing thing we managed to do.

The country is in a bad way, the world is in a bad way...the election hasn't changed any of that....but my God, it's a damn good start. I feel proud to be an American for the first time in my life.

(written on 5nov08 1:30am PT)

i cried so much tonight

i cried because it's now possible that in the future i will be able to travel the world and not be embarrassed to say i'm from the u.s.a.

i cried because i feel like perhaps the u.s.a. IS actually filled with people who are as disgusted as i at the way our country has been behaving.

i cried because, for the first time ever, i believe in the president-elect; i actually believe the words he says.

i cried because the president-elect was born in my decade and shares my values.

i cried because i feel like i've been through a major trauma, having lived overseas studying global issues of conflict and peace and automatically being aligned with a country whose political morals and ethics i did not agree with, whose political influence was behind many of the wars we studied.

i cried because i gave a presentation today to a group of the people whose $ sent me to thailand, people who were mostly republican with the bumper stickers to prove it, and i had to stand with a smile on my face while pledging to a flag i wasn't sure i believed in and then answer questions about cultural differences causing conflicts.

i cried because i stood for many hours tonight in the freezing, rainy cold to support, and answer questions for, people who chose to wait in line for hours in order to cast their vote, many for the first time ever, and i could see the hope in their eyes.

i cried remembering my first international backpacking trips when my friends from canada gave me canadian maple leaf flags to put on my backpack so i could be safer, be more globally accepted and acceptable.

i cried because i now feel like there's actually hope.

hope that people will once again come first, not big business.

hope that my pre-existing conditions will not exclude me from my ability to get health insurance.

hope that many people in the u.s.a. may have life priorities that are actually somewhat aligned with my own.

hope that race and class relations in this country might actually be given a voice and a chance to heal.

hope that the u.s. education system might be given the chance to reform and actually educate rather than school.

hope that i'll be able to leave the u.s. and be proud to admit that i'm from here.

hope that things are going to change.

i cried because the job in bangkok i've been waiting to open up for 1/2 a year was today just announced as available, and i wonder if now, in this new time of hope and change, it's time to choose to stay.

i cried because maybe, for the first time in my life, i'm ready to call my country of birth my home; for the first time ever, i feel like perhaps i actually belong.

I cant ever remember crying so consistently with happiness at something. That night I cried. And tear up every time I am reminded of that night. This is gong to sound horrible, terrible, awful - but I had become embarrassed to be American. I am not anymore.

Despair, and sadness. I couldn't sleep after the election was called. I could not shake the feeling that my whole life had been an utter waste of time and effort. 25 years as a soldier protecting a nation that had emphatically said it hated me. I wish I had all the hope y'all have, I really do, but in my mind blows the cold wind of dread. A wind that started blowing Nov 4th. Congratulations to you all, I really want to be wrong.

I was in the crowd at the White House that night. It was incredible to see that energy and feel that kind of excitement about America. It was a pure celebration. Everyone was cheering, students, businesspeople, taxi cab drives honked their horns. One of the cops "guarding" the movement even fistbumped a couple of people in the crowd.

America was united that night for the first time in eight years. Some of my friends in the crowd were McCain supporters, but they still came out to take part in what was a defining moment in the growth of a nation, and to cheer for Barack Obama.

I will always remember standing outside the White House that night, the very symbol, indeed the very office, that Obama won, and seeing it truly shine for the first time since I came to the Capitol.

mine was strange. my mom was in town caring for me because i was dead sick. (ended up getting my tonsils out a few days later)
it was my birthday
but the strange part was that i live above what i learned to be an angry drunk racist. as my mom and i yay-ed each state turning blue, all we could hear from downstairs was "shoot the fucking nigger in the head!" over and over.