Last Tuesday, as we all know, was an historic occasion and a night of joy and celebration for the Obama Nation. For my wife, Mary Lou, and myself, it was also the end of our hosting a series of Tuesday night social gatherings for watching the votes come in, listening to speeches by the candidates and the analysis of all of this by the pundits of CNN and MSNBC, and breaking bread with other people who share our enthusiasm for Sen. Barack Obama and his message of change and hope for the future of the USA.
This Tuesday might have been the best of all, not just because we heard Barack say the words we had been waiting for with excitement and anxiety, wondering if it could really happen, if it was more than just "a fairy tale (as claimed by former President Bill Clinton), and if somehow it would be snatched away at the last second by Bill's partner (in crime?), Sen. Hillary Clinton, who seemed to have more lives than a cat. "Old" friends Frank, Mike, Yohance, Shameka, and J.P joined new friends Deborah, Caroline, David, and Mary as we watched Hillary win in South Dakota and give a strange speech that left us all hanging. Then, it happened quickly: AP called the race for Obama, MSNBC and CNN followed, Hillary finished her speech with 5 minutes to spare until the polls closed in Montana. There they are, Barack and Michelle coming out together, him elegant as ever, her in a stunning violet-purple dress, radiating inspiration, love, and good will. We all knew that he is a powerful and exciting speaker but on Tuesday, he took it to the next level of gravitas and passion.
"Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States."
It was not a dream. My daughter, Lauren, who has denied being excited about the race and who commented that she would "vote for the Democratic nominee," described Barack as "majestic." It didn't matter if Hillary and her advisers and supporters were living in an alternative universe, we knew Barack Obama was going to be the Democratic nominee! We broke out a bottle of champagne and poured it, we toasted the future of America with President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama.
But there was one sad note. With the primary season over, what are we going to do on Tuesday nights?