President Obama...

It still feels exciting to write it: President Obama.

I've hardly slept at all since the results became clear last night, but still I've had to pinch myself a few times just to make sure I'm not in some kind of dream world. I'm truly happy, hopeful, and humbled to have been a small part of the movement that put the first African-American President into the oval office. It is exactly because that movement even existed in the first place that I am also proud today to be an American; as President Obama said during his DNC speech, his life's story would not even be possible in any other country on this planet.

This video is of Mahalia Jackson's performance of "The Lord's Prayer" at the Newport Jazz festival, 50 years ago. Somehow, today, it seemed appropriate to share:




To my conservative friends: if there's anyone in the world who could understand your feelings of disappointment and resentment at this moment, it's a guy--like me!--who picked Kerry and Gore the last two times around. It gets easier, I promise...but please, take heart: given the slate of crises facing the U.S. right now, more than ever, our country needs everyone to come together around a common sense of pragmatism, not pep-rally style "us vs. them" politics.

To my liberal friends: yes, the victory was sweet, but we're all still on the same team. I'm sure you remember how bad it felt 4 years ago when Bush was re-elected... That being said, let's try to cut the "nanny nanny boo boo"/"told ya so" stuff this time around. Doesn't help anybody.

This country has a lot of work to do. Let's all--conservative, liberal, whatever--just pray we've chosen a man who is up to the task of digging us out of this whole we're still in.