He did it!!!! [Bryan]

If you haven't heard, Obama won the Democratic primary last night. It was an amazing process to watch. Here is Obama: raised by a single Mom in relatively modest circumstances, an African-American with big ears and a funny, almost terrorist-sounding, name. Outside of Illinois, almost nobody had heard of Obama until last Fall. He was up against eight other candidates, each one with much more money, name recognition, and institutional advantages than he had. Throughout the campaign, Obama would have to survive sustained attacks from libelous email frauds, from a former president and first lady, from the sitting president, from Rush Limbaugh and "operation chaos," and from the presumptive Republican nominee. All that at the same time.

How did this guy win? I think it is a combination of intelligence, inner strength, and understanding the power of grass-roots community. He put together a coalition of millions of small-money contributers (like Ellie and I) to wage an amazing battle. What I think is most important about Obama, as I've said before, is that he treats us like adults, and we respond to that. When McCain and Clinton were pandering with the inane "gas tax holiday" idea, Obama called it for what it was: a gift to the oil companies that would do nothing to solve our energy problems in the long run. People responded to that honesty. Although his campaign hasn't been perfect, it has become clear to me that over and over again, Obama has taken the high road -- the adult road -- when others have taken the low road. Compare, for example, Obama's speech last night with the defensive and small-minded speeches of both McCain and Clinton.

As I was watching his speech last night, it occured to me how amazing this moment was. A black man like Obama could not have even used the same bathroom as me in the South 40 years ago. But now this man was laying out a vision for a new America that was being cheered by people of all colors and creeds. I can only imagine what this must mean for the African-American community. One comment in this regard that I read, really stood out. It comes from a black reader of Andrew Sullivan:

Tomorrow I will go to the African American cemetery outside of Chicago where my great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbors, and my mother and father are buried. And I will tell them that they were right -- that if we studied hard, worked hard, kept the faith, fought for justice, prayed, that this day would come.

And it has.

It has indeed. I'm proud of America today, and proud to be a Democrat! Here is the video if you want to watch history being made. Be sure to watch the end, which is particularly good.