And history is made...

Well, it's finally over. Election day has come and gone. One man prevailed in what has been called "an electoral landslide." After eighteen months of a rigorous and historic campaign, we have our first African-American President in its wake. All I have to say is...it's about time! Sadly, it took eight turbulent years of the polarizing Bush Administration to get America to this point. When Bush took office at the turn of the century, the future looked very bright. Who could have foreseen the forks in the road? Just like when we were kids, sometimes you have to learn lessons the hard way.

For whatever reason, the country just wasn't ready for real change until now. It is an amazing feat and the voter turnout for this election was tenfold. This might sound cliche and I think Lee Greenwood might agree, but I for one am proud to be an American tonight. As we listened to Barack Obama make his acceptance speech, I was especially touched when I noticed even DH let a a few stray tears escape. It was a profound moment.


The pundits on the various newstations have made lots of predictions and proclaim that the American public has spoken. They recognize that from this moment forward, we have moved one step closer to our potential as the true promised land as envisioned by Martin Luther King, Jr. Also, I must applaud John McCain for his gracious concession speech. He showed his true colors tonight and reminds us all that this election was a win-win situation from the getgo, no matter who would've won. He faced an uphill battle and held his head high throughout, that says a lot about his character. I really appreciated how he asked his supporters to join forces with others to "bridge our differences."


That said, one pundit hit the nail on the head when he said that the many undecided voters (like me) heard that little voice inside that told them voting for Obama was the right thing to do. I waivered until the moment I filled in that little circle and am very happy with my decision. Whether you agree with me or not, Obama brings a fresh, youthful energy to Washington. He may be the first black President, but he also has that Kennedy aura about him that has rekindled the spark this country has lost in recent years. I doubt anyone is foolish enough to believe that change will happen just like that. He is inheriting a troubled economy and a nation at war. The years ahead will not be a cakewalk. Dr. King once said, "all progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem." That will be Obama's challenge in the months and years to come.


On a side note, I wanted to add that I think it was very sad that Obama's grandmother passed away on the eve of his greatest triumph. She died one day shy of realizing a dream and that has to be a bittersweet pill for Obama to swallow on perhaps the most exciting night of his life.


I also want to point out that this election was not just a victory for the minority community, but we also had our first female presidential candidate in Hilary Clinton and a real contender for the vice presidency on the Republican ticket in Sarah Palin. The progress the nation has made over the last two years has restored hope to many after several years of frustration and terror. America has been on a downward spiral ever since the 9/11 attacks and our invasion of Iraq. We were brought to our knees and of course we came out swinging. Unfortunately, many mistakes in judgment were made along the way and has damaged our reputation around the world. The message this election should send is that we are the verge of some real positive changes. Nothing will happen overnight, but we can begin the rebuilding process at long last. If Obama's reign last for the next eight years, then I hope to see a female on the 2016 ticket. How ironic would it be to see Clinton vs. Palin duke it out for that dubious honor?! Now that will be progress. *wink wink*.