The thing that struck me the most about tonight was finally seeing Barack Obama not only as a candidate for change in America, but as a living symbol of the change that's possible -- and for which I think majorities are yearning.
Chris Matthews (although he often blows more hot air than is helpful) had a great thing to say about this. At the end of the night, he and the other MSNBC pundits were discussing Barack's heritage, connection with the vital grassroots, and soul-felt (not pundit-fed) desire for bringing people together.
In response to all of this, Matthews said (paraphrasing, but getting most of it I think):
Barack Obama is emblematic of America's aspiration to rejoin the world community.
I think that's telling. Barack not only stands for the kind of America and the kind of world I want to live in -- he symbolizes it personally. And, from my standpoint, he seems to feel the urgency of the need for change more deeply in his bones than any of the other candidates -- with John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich coming in close seconds.
Bottom line....I was inspired by the performance of the Dems overall tonight, but Barack continues to strike a chord in my heart in a way that the other candidates don't.
He, more than anyone else, makes me hopeful for the future of our country and our world.