Barack Obama: Democratic Presidential Nominee 2008

Holy crap, America!

Barack Obama is the Presidential Nominee for the Democratic Party! This is a huge, landmark moment in history. One of the two major political parties in this country has nominated a black man to be their candidate for President of the United States.

I say again, holy crap, America!

Of course, I'm not just excited about this because Barack Obama is black. Despite my initial questions, I've been a supporter of Barack Obama since very early on in the primary campaign. I even volunteered for his campaign when he came through Texas. So part of what excites me is just the fact that the guy I supported got the gig. But the enormity of this moment in our national timeline is, right now, immeasurable. I think some of the discussion of the incredible magnitude of this victory was undercut in the press last night by the talking heads trying to wrap their heads around Sen. Clinton's bizarre (and characteristically narcissistic) non-concession concession speech and McCain's equally bizarre (and characteristically unexciting) "please look at me" forced-smile-a-thon (who in the McCain campaign decided it was a good idea to have him speak the night that the Dems wrap things up, a few minutes before the delegate count pushed over 2118?). But in the weeks, months, and years to come, June 3, 2008 will be remembered as the day that the Democratic Party made history. And I will be able to say that I was a part of it.

The speech Senator Obama gave last night was incredible. If you haven't seen it, click on that link. Or at the very least, read this excerpt from the end of the speech.

In our country, I have found that this cooperation happens not because we agree on everything, but because behind all the labels and false divisions and categories that define us; beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes. And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.

[...]

America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals.

Watching this speech last night with my friends (we ordered a pizza and sat around the TV. Because we're cool like that), we believed it. You can tell Obama did, too. As he delivers that final passage, the tone of his voice changes; it becomes higher, like his throat is tightened by the sudden onset of emotion. He literally, though almost imperceptibly, chokes up. He realizes that this truly is that moment, and, realizes with humility and grace, that he has the honor to be the focal point of this pivotal moment in American political and cultural history.

I love Michelle giving him the rock right before he speaks. I love that on so many levels. It was obviously spur-of-the-moment, and it totally humanizes these two. They obviously didn't expect the applause that met the Senator to last as long as it did, and as the gravity of the moment began to sink in, they revealed themselves to be everything John and Cindy McCain aren't as a would-be-first-couple: youthful, hip, humble, and obviously very much in love.

And also black.

Did you know that Barack Obama is black? Because he is. Yeah, the guy that the Democrats just nominated for the presidency is a black guy. Holy crap, America.

I don't know about you, but I'm fired up, and I'm ready to go.

UPDATE:
The fact that the Senator gave his acceptance speech in the very same building where the Republicans are going to have their convention elicited this from a DailyKos user: