Change At Last

As we sat there watching the returns, we did so in disbelief. Obama had not only secured the Northeastern states that the Democratics usually won uncontested, but he also had gotten New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and the battleground state of Ohio. It was nearing the 11 o'clock hour and the closing of the polls on the West Coast. At that time, Obama was up in Florida by a difference of 2 to 3 percent, and had pulled ahead in Virginia by 10 or so thousand votes, which continued to climb with each minute. We were all glued to the television and our computer screens as we crosschecked information from all the various news organizations. All of a sudden, Pete tells me that according to Yahoo the AP declared Obama the winner of Virginia. Although nobody else could verify this, in my state of utmost excitement I texted everyone I knew to give them the news. For the first time since Lyndon B. Johnson, Virginia had gone blue. It was astonishing, and exciting to say the least. What had happened, though, was to pale in comparison with the news that was only seconds away. We watched as CNN finally broke the news about Virginia. Right on the heels of that they declared the battleground state of Florida to be awarded to Obama. I was in a hysteria of happiness as I grabbed my phone ready to call my girlfriend Louisa to tell her that he had this, that we had this. However, in the time it took me to grab my phone adjacent to me, the clock struck 11, and, although expected, the AP declared Obama the winner of the state of California and its 55 electoral votes. On the screen, a set of new words rang out. Obama is the 44th President Elect of the United States. It all seemed to hit me like a pile of bricks. I dropped the phone I had just picked up and fell to my knees on the verge of crying tears of sweet sweet happiness. I grasped my friend Ana and embraced her in a hug that I'm sure couldn't have been too comfortable for her. It had happened! The once improbable, unthinkable dream had culminated in the now famous chant of Obama and his entire campaign: Yes We Can!