I'm Still In Shock That My Candidate Won

[slinkerwink]

I'm still in shock that my candidate, Barack Obama, won the Democratic nomination for President. That's never happened to me with the other candidates I've supported in my short life--Bill Bradley, and Howard Dean. I worked my heart out for Howard Dean, and I remember the sickening pain when the news played the Dean scream on an endless loop---that same pain I had when they played Reverend Wright's clip on an endless loop for three weeks straight. I cried so hard when Howard Dean dropped out. I hated Kerry so much. I couldn't relate to him. Everyone said he was electable and would deliver the electoral votes in November. I didn't think so, but I bucked up, held myself together, and went to vote for Kerry in deep blue Massachussetts in 2004.

I hoped that Kerry would win. He didn't. We had four more years of George W. Bush. Four more long years of pain enduring that smirk on television newscasts. I saw the first glimmer of hope in the 2004 DNC Convention speech delivered by newly-elected Senator Barack Obama. As soon as he finished the speech, I called my mom and I said, "I think we just saw our first black President, Mom." She agreed with me. She then said that would likely come in ten years from now.

Three short years later, Barack Obama entered the Democratic race for the Presidency. Because of that 2004 DNC speech and his 2002 anti-Iraq war speech, I was behind his candidacy but I didn't think he would win. Everyone thought Hillary Clinton was going to take it in a cakewalk. Then came Iowa. Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, with the glorious caucus results on the screen, and the world suddenly took notice of this kid with the funny name, Barack Hussein Obama. I rooted for him all the way through, and I was beside myself when he won 11 states in a row, racking up that delegate total and getting superdelegate endorsements along the way. Yes, he was going to make it. Then I had some serious doubts--when the Wright video broke out. I thought that was it, but then Barack Obama delivered one of the best speeches in my lifetime--the speech about race that redeemed my faith in him as a candidate to overcome whatever obstacles there were in his way.

The night he clinched the nomination.......I had chills up my spine. I smiled through my tears at the television screen. I felt so proud of America in that moment, and saw its poetic possibilities that Walt Whitman saw many eons ago. Yes, we CAN.

Yes, We Can!

Yes, We Can!

Oh, hell, yes, we CAN take our country back! The long road ahead to November is going to be hard. There will be the 527s. The attack ads. Yet.....as long as we continue to bust our asses for Obama as volunteers, we'll make it through. We will elect him as President in November 2008.

Yes, We CAN!

[MannyGoldstein]

1. It's Been 32 Years Since My Candidate Won

It *is* hard to believe. Perhaps I'll stop being such a cynic now.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

2. I remember you from when I joined the DU in October 2003.

And I remember you were a Dean supporter :hi: After 5 years I say hello and we are going to work hard to put Barack Obama in the White House.I love this energy and seeing everyone from every walk of life support Obama.This feels so good.

[slinkerwink]

5. it feels great too!

:-)

[asthmaticeog]

3. The last time someone I voted for won, it was Bill Clinton.

I sure hope this one works out better.

[grannylib]

4. Believing right along with you...ya sure you betcha we can!