Yes, We Can. Yes, We Did! Yes, We Will.

I'm very pleased with the outcome of the election. It was no secret that I'm an Obama supporter. I thought his campaign was everything it needed to be, as was his victory. The margins, both in the Electoral College and in the popular vote, were large enough for him to claim a mandate and avoid any claims about the legitimacy of the election, unlike what we've seen in the past several elections. His campaign was honorable, inspiring, and uplifting. I hope that this election proves once and for all that Americans are sick of negative campaigning and hateful smearing (hear that, Liddy Dole?)

I was too young to have been around for JFK, but now I can imagine some of the emotion that people felt about his election. Never in my life have I been so inspired by a politician. Clearly, the rest of the world agrees. People from all around the world are hailing Obama's election as leading to a rebirth of American international leadership.

This morning I thought of Judy, whom I worked with at the FTC years ago. She told us about how she and many others in her generation were inspired to enter public service because of JFK. Even then, years later, her face glowed when she spoke of JFK. Unfortunately, Judy died last year, way too young. I know that she would have been just as inspired by Obama as she was by JFK.

I cannot remember an election in my lifetime that led people out into the streets to celebrate like people were celebrating last night. In Chicago, San Francisco, Harlem and DC, people poured out into the streets with elation.

Forty years ago, riots raged in some downtown DC streets after the assasination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Last night, in those same streets, people joyfully celebrated the election of our first African-American President. I am SO PROUD of my country right now. I hope that Obama's election can keep us moving ahead, so that we can truly fulfill one of the bedrock principles upon which this nation was founded, that all men are created equal.

While we're all basking in this historical day, I want to remind everyone that Barack Obama is a man, not a miracle worker. He's taking over the office of President at a very difficult and volatile time for this country. The work we have to do to dig ourselves out of the pit we're in will be hard, and potentially lengthy. We might fail before we succeed. But I hope that we can be patient, work together, and help make that change happen. Let's let the activism that won this election continue.

Tomorrow: knitting content!