I am almost at a loss for words. Barack Obama is the President Elect. It's stunning really. Finally, after almost two years of hard work, long hours, and tireless campaigning...we've done it!
The feelings that were going around last night were amazing and contagious. You couldn't help but smile and raise your glass every 30 seconds to propose a new toast. "To Change", we said. "Yes We Can, and Yes We Did". There was an unabaited joy in everyone that I've never seen in anybody when it comes to politics. It's something that is hard to describe, something that is a campaign slogan, but something that has been damn hard to reach for in the past 8 years. But what it boils down to, what the glow on everyone's faces last night was HOPE. No fear, no questions, no worrying, no having to go and work at it right away. For a few moments in time we were all able to bask in that sweet, sweet glow of HOPE. We could all feel it, see it on each other's face, in our speeches and hugs. Nervousness and weariness were replaced with it.
HOPE.
The time has come. This campaign is not over. It is just at another beginning. We must push onward and work to see to it that everyone American is able to share in our glow. There are those out there who would run from it, afraid of change and a new beginning. We must help them see the benefits. As Barack said last night, "I may not have won your vote tonight...I will be your President too." We can not fall into the patterns of old, balking at differing opinons, and when things don't go our way, taking our ball and going home. That cannot be. This is a time when we can reach across the aisle, shake hands with our neighbors of differing opinions and yet still get things done. We must unite and work together in order to succeed in this great nation, or we will fail seperately.
~Stephen Scheide
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