Thus spake my mamacita, a proud resident of Nevada which I am delighted to say absolutely crushed for Obama. Missouri, my home state, whose state song the Missouri Waltz reminisces fondly about being a pickaninny, came within two-tenths of a percent of going for Obama.
It's felt really special to be even a tiny part of this event. I have plenty of friends who've actually done really intense campaigning (Jon Ryan Quinn, Nevada thanks you) while I've sat on my bum, but just living in Chicago, and even moreso Hyde Park, has made me feel really close to the whole thing. But I guess we all have our reasons to feel close to it. Last night it didn't really strike me just how momentous an event this is, but this morning, seeing his face in the paper, and the words "Mr President", it really sunk in.
I was immensely disheartened that night in 2000, mostly just the fact that it was even close, that half the country could even consider such a wretched imbecile a better candidate for the job than Al Gore really, really brought me down. Then I kept holding out hope during the recount ... I remember seeing in the paper that it had been halted and I just couldn't believe it. I felt really crushed then, and I've been pretty apathetic ever since.
But this is really getting to me, and I think it's really getting to everyone. At work today there were a whole lot of people with extra spring in their steps - and given the pall that's been cast over my workplace lately, I think a little extra spring is a pretty impressive feat (note to Mom: The link between "spring in step" and "feat" was not an intentional pun, though if it works for you, rock on.)
I'm really happy to be raising a little girl in this country right now, and honestly, I'm really proud to be American today, probably for the first time in my lifetime.
Also, I'm really enjoying getting to talk about My Neighbor The President.
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