Yes We Did!!!

Well, after almost two years of silence, this historic election is probably a good time to resume posting (I hope).

It's been almost a week since November 4. It's finally hitting home to me that Barack Obama will be our next President. This is the first time I've supported a candidate since the day he announced (actually, before he announced, since I signed one of the petitions urging him to run back in 2006). Since he announced in February 2007 I have been involved as a volunteer for the campaign-organizing, cajoling, sending money (I was part of the $25/month club), making phone calls, even spending a day in Joplin, Missouri to GOTV (Get Out The Vote).

Because of my involvement, and that of so many other grassroots people, we will probably always remember where we were when we learned Barack Obama had been elected 44th President of the United States.

On Election Day I was on pins and needles. The polls said that Obama was going to win, but the polls have been wrong before. I wasn't trusting anything. When 5 o'clock hit I joined two of my symphony colleagues in Marc's office for a celebratory straight Knob Creek. (Marc and Tim were more trusting of the polls than I was.) Before I headed upstairs to the Jazz Hall of Fame for the watch party, I spent some time on my computer checking the MSBNC, Daily Kos and Huffington Post websites for updates & live blogging. I headed upstairs about 7:30pm & immediately came upon a jam-packed house. I spotted a few friends, but could say little more than "hi" to them because of the joyful pandemonium. (Most people were clearly expecting a victory.) The media was out in force-KOTV Channel 6 (CBS) had a camera crew interviewing Amie, one of the local coordinators. I was stopped by a photographer from the Tulsa World wanting to get my name-he had taken my picture. (It didn't get into the paper.) CNN.com's live stream was projected onto one wall.

Pennsylvania was called not too long after my arrival, and within half an hour of Pennsylvania, Ohio. I think we all knew Obama was headed for victory.

I found a quieter place in the Jazz Hall of Fame's listening room, where another television had been set up. The TV was mostly set to MSNBC (my favorite), with occasional forays to CNN and KJRH (Tulsa's NBC affiliate). I won't go into the all-too-depressing local/state results now, save for the election of Karen Keith to the Tulsa County Commission and the easy re-election of Rep. Jeannie McDaniel & Sen. Tom Adelson.

I found Jeannie, who had done a lot of work in the early stages of the campaign, there with her husband. We sat together watching the returns come in with the rest of the room. Shortly before 10pm CST I remember saying to Jeannie, "Well, the polls will be closing any minute now on the west coast. California has 55 electoral votes right there." (MSNBC had Obama at about 204 electoral votes, I believe.) I remember checking my cell phone for the time-it said 9:59pm. Next thing I know MSNBC was playing that "Projection" music, and flashing Obama's image on the screen with the words "44th President of the United States."

The cheers that went up were simply unbelievable. There was one woman in the anteroom with me who had her arms lifted up, presumably praising God. Plenty of folks were wiping tears from their eyes. I wandered over to the main hall, and joined in the cheers of O-BAM-A! O-BAM-A! YES WE DID! After I was hoarse from the cheering I retreated outdoors and called my mother. Although she was very happy, she was more relieved that McCain/Palin had not been elected (she was absolutely petrified that they would steal the election).

Mother and I agreed the Chicago skyline was particularly beautiful on television, and were very moved by the hundreds of thousands of supporters in Grant Park. We were both very proud that a fellow Chicagoan would now be President of the United States.

I decided to head home, and listened to McCain's acceptance speech on NPR on my way home. I remember thinking, "Why couldn't he have been this gracious during the campaign? He must have received terrible advice from his handlers." I got home, turned on my television, and within a few moments savored the victory speech of President-elect Obama, with my cat in my lap. I will never forget the tear-streaked faces of Oprah Winfrey & the Rev. Jesse Jackson. It occurred to me that Rev. Jackson was likely hoping Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was watching his dream unfold from heaven. There were the images of the jubilant crowd, entranced by the eloquent words of our next President. There was the Chicago skyline, more beautiful than ever, as if the buildings themselves were embracing our country and its new leadership. There was Lake Michigan, reflecting the pure joy of the hour. There was Field Museum, lit up in all its glory, seeing history itself in the making.

Finally, there were the Obama families-the incredible future First Lady, Michelle, the beautiful Obama daughters Malia and Sasha, and the wonderful Biden family: the Vice President-elect's attractive wife, Jill, his children and grandchildren, and his mother. How moving it was when Vice President-elect Biden brought his mother to the edge of the stage to introduce her to the crowd.

Who would have thought this "skinny guy from the South Side with a funny name" (as President-elect Obama himself said in 2004) would win such a convincing victory in 2008? Who would have thought he would best the "inevitable" Hillary Clinton, and then the seasoned veteran John McCain? The "experts" were saying "this isn't Obama's time. He needs to wait. It's Hillary's turn." Many of my acquaintances couldn't understand why I, a feminist, was supporting this "inexperienced" upstart and not falling in line behind Hillary Clinton. Well-it was just something I felt in my heart was the right thing to do. It was never an anti-Clinton thing for me-it was pro-Obama. Indeed, if Barack Obama had decided not to run, I would probably have been supporting Hillary Clinton.

Well, this was a long time in coming. A lot of grassroots people worked very hard-even in the face of the establishment who said this wasn't Obama's time. But it was Obama's time-no, it was our country's time for change.

PS: Musicians and artists overwhelmingly supported the Obama/Biden ticket. Here's why: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/additional/Obama_FactSheet_Arts.pdf