So I wrote out this long blog entry a couple hours ago concerning my feelings about Barack Obama being elected President. Unfortunately, my computer froze and my original blog was erased So here I go again...

I have been on cloud 9 over the past day or two, crying tears of joy as I watch and re-watch Barack Obama's speech from Grant Park the other night. I remember back to when I first heard about Barack Obama a few years ago...it was after his 2004 speech at the DNC, I believe, and I was instantly intrigued by him. As I learned more about Obama, the more I grew to like him and I was inspired by his words. After he announced he was running for president in February 2007, I knew he was the person I would vote for (of course, I also did some research ). I liked Hillary and I would've supported her if she won the primaries, but Barack was my man. I voted for him in the primaries, even though he was trailing behind HRC, and I prayed that he would win the Democratic nomination. When he finally clinched the nomination and gave that speech at the DNC, I was so touched by his words that I started crying (again).

It's not just that Obama is a charismatic speaker...I also agree with him on several issues (getting out of Iraq and focusing on Afghanistan, building up the middle class again, higher salaries for teachers, etc.) and he is more inspiring than any candidate I have ever witnessed. I cast my absentee ballot weeks ago and although he was ahead in the polls and I desperately wanted him to win, I didn't know if the rest of America would be on the same page as me. I was on pins and needles for days and my stomach started churning the night before Election Day. I raced home from class to watch the election coverage on CNN. For hours, I was glued to the TV with my younger sister by my side as we eagerly watched the results roll in. Every time, a "swing state" turned blue, we would scream and jump around. Around 8pm PST, CNN made the startling proclamation that Barack Obama was projected to be the next President of the United States. It didn't sink in for a minute or two, then they started showing coverage from Grant Park and the words at the bottom of the screen read "Barack Obama Elected President." Then it hit me. Immediately, I started crying tears of joy and i couldn't stop. When Barack introduced Michelle as the next First Lady, I was just hit with another wave of emotion. Not only will Barack Obama be our first African American president, but also the Obamas will be the first black First Family. I am a white woman, just to clarify, but this night touched me beyond measure...to think that 40 years ago, our country was so racially divided that the thought of a black man becoming President was just not feasible. I genuinely can't imagine how much pride and joy African Americans must feel right now, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

I am so proud of how far America has come. I'm so proud that the candidate I have supported since the very beginning has been elected President. I'm so proud that the first time that I was eligible to vote in a presidential election, it was for a candidate that I truly believed in. And I know that one day, when I have children, they will ask me about where I was and what I was doing on this night (just like the new Millenium or 9/11). It was a wonderful, historic night...one that I will always remember.

P.S. I usually don't cry that much