It's been a while since I last posted here, and I've missed the give and take. Actually, I wish it was for some serious reason, but between our four kids and the seasonal uptick in my work, I just haven't had the time.
For Obama supporters it has been sort of a roller coaster ride - and the cars still have not stopped completely. For Clinton supporters, well, all I can say is you cannot accuse your candidate for lacking tenacity.
But amid the pundits working overtime tonight to annoy us on our websites and cable networks of choice, there was this...
For the first time - ever - in the history of the United States, somebody who is not a middle-aged white man has won the majority of the elected delegates in a major party primary.
And I think - as Democrats - even if you are so committed to Hillary Clinton that you hang on her every mischaracterization of the primary vote total, we should all be very proud.
The Republican party never could have done this first. Not this year, not in any year. The very essence of conservatism is that it embraces the status quo. Anything other than another rich white guy would be too risky for them.
No, the party that has been on the forefront of every equal rights, every civil rights battle of the 20th and 21st centuries - the Democratic party - our party has done this. We have done this. Our party wanted to legislate an amendment to the Constitution to permanently break the glass ceiling for women. It was the leaders of our party, and a President (Johnson) from our party that took the leap forward in equal rights for African Americans. We were the first to nominate a woman for Vice President (no matter how off-the-wall Geraldine Ferraro is today her nomination did make history). The Democrats were first to attempt to enfranchise the disenfranchised on Native American reservations, in Washington DC, even in Puerto Rico. We were even the first party to nominate a Catholic candidate in 1928 (Al Smith) - long before the nation as a whole could come together to vote for one.
And the Republicans? They stood in the way every step of the way, opposing the broadening of our democracy to a more perfect union. Worse yet, they used our differences in religion, in ethnic background and - especially - in race to divide this nation and therefore politically conquer it.
It doesn't matter if you are annoyed that Barack Obama is beating Hillary Clinton, or that Hillary Clinton won't end her campaign. It doesn't matter if Obama takes this nomination with 2,025 or 2,205 or something in between. Stop, breathe, listen and enjoy this moment. This is a barrier that can only be crossed once.