Congratulations, Senator Obama!

Congratulations to Senator Obama and his supporters.  Iowa was very close [edit: for second place], and it's still early in the race for the nomination, but nothing should detract from Barack Obama's amazing victory tonight.

I feel a special obligation to post this, given my past gutter trash diary against the Senator.  I'm still pissed at his playing with homophobia, but I don't believe he's a homophobe at heart.  I'm even more pissed at myself for letting my demons get the better of me.

But, this has nothing to do with me. It is a remarkable achievement for Barack Obama, and a very welcome development for our party, to support an African-American who has a very real shot at the presidency.  Congratulations, again, to Senator Obama and all of his supporters.  You should all be very proud this evening.

•  And, of course,

  if Senator Obama does win the nomination, I'll be proud to vote for him in November.

  by HarveyMilk on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:33:17 PM PDT

  •  As am I

    I'm 25. I'm sick of this country being run by old white rich men with no sense of reality.

    I found Obama and Edwards best speak for me. Obama is closer to my age. He's Kennedy-esque. He's the antithesis to the old white rich men with no sense of reality. I wish he was Governor of Illinois or Senator for longer, so the experience issue wasn't an issue.

    I will be more than happy to put up an Obama sticker on my door and an Obama lawn sign in front of my house if it's him.

    by nrafter530 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:37:30 PM PDT

    •  That is a bit racist don't you think?

      "old white rich men" - good luck with that.

      by America08 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:40:23 PM PDT

      •  is he wrong?

        by Dude1701 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:46:56 PM PDT

        •  exactly

          its descriptive

          by blueterp on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:30:38 PM PDT

      •  Please, I beg you,

        just don't.  Not now.  Not here.

        by HarveyMilk on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:47:41 PM PDT

        •  I didn't make the statement! The person above

          did and it is just that Racist!

          by America08 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:30:31 PM PDT

      •  No

        just reality.

        Is not our government overwhelmingly wealthy white and old?

        is not all of our national leaders except for Nancy Pelosi not wealthy white male and old or some sort of combition of the above?

        not racist, realist.

        by nrafter530 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:50:51 PM PDT

      •  well in his defense

        he is 25 and so every president has been old and white, from his perspective.

        by ratador on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:18:09 PM PDT

      •  sounds descriptive, not perjorative

        by blueterp on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:30:20 PM PDT

  •  Welcome home.

    Welcome back to the fold, HM.

    by malharden on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:03:34 PM PDT

  •  good on you, Mr Milk

    shows some serious class

    by flagpole on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 08:05:53 PM PDT

•  congratulations for the Democratic Party

  as well.

  the story tonight is the landslide turnout of the democratic party in Iowa.  The Republicans are in deep shit.  60 looks doable tonight.

  by jalapeno on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:34:58 PM PDT

•  Well, 48% of Kossacks wanted Edwards

  so you are not alone.

  It will be intersting to see how things develop in the next few weeks.

  by science first on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:35:53 PM PDT

  •  I wanted Edwards, but also strongly favored Obama

    I just didn't want Clinton ;p

    CONGRATS SENATOR OBAMA! WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    by otheruser on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:43:15 PM PDT

•  Some where

  Dr. King is smiling!

  by sap on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:35:58 PM PDT

  •  Wow

    I just thought of the same thing.

    I wish he and/or Coretta were still here to see this. This is, at the very least, a big reward for all of Dr. King's work and activism.

    I'm white btw.

    by nrafter530 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:39:11 PM PDT

•  I like Barack Obama.

  by Blogvirgin on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:37:18 PM PDT

•  I would have been happy

  with any of the big three or Dodd.  But it is wonderful and I feel like I just took a shower!

  We have a year and alot of hurdles.
  I plan on inviting Carl Rove and some others over to dinner for a very long party, maybe I can distract them with some nerdy books or some pictures of little boys or sumthin.

  Yee Ha.

  by dogheaven on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:37:38 PM PDT

  •  When things cool down you'll find

    that this was darn near a three way tie.  and you do have most everybody.  This is just going to make New Hampshire and South Carolina more interesting.

    by Rolfyboy6 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:41:50 PM PDT

    •  7 points? That's not so close

      from my perspective.

      by brklyngrl on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:51:23 PM PDT

      •  Edwards now has real delegates

        This isn't baseball or football. This wasn't a winner take all caucus. There are more to come. Notice that Obama didn't get 63%.  That's 63 point he didn't get.  So when the others are still within striking distance and they are going to be going into varied states like New Hampshire and South Carolina there's a lot to do the numbers on.  Edwards will still get 30% of the delegates. Clinton will still get almost 30% of the delegates.  Start getting wise to what's happening here.  Almost a three way tie.  Despite Chris Matthews.

        by Rolfyboy6 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:58:59 PM PDT

        •  Look, maybe Edwards will come back.

          I don't think so, but its possible. I'm not trying to tell you the election is over.

          But let's be honest here - 7 points is really not almost a tie. Its way outside of what the polls predicted.  Even though I agree that the Chris Matthews commentary was way over the top.

          by brklyngrl on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:05:13 PM PDT

          •  I damned sure would have loved to have it.

            7% is a nice spread.  The turnout was amazing (and that bodes well for November, no matter who wins the nomination.

            But 30% and Second Place is not fatal to either John Edwards or Hillary Clinton.  We have a three-way race, at the very least until NH.

            by HarveyMilk on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:09:40 PM PDT

          •  In functional terms

            Obama won perception, which is good for "Mo."  What he didn't win is any functional victory in delegate count.  That comes later.  The Iowa caucuses are notorious for not producing much besides the focus of the Chris Matthews of the media world.  It's part of why the Iowa Caucuses are so criticized. There are some very good things that came out tonight and this has been very helpful to Obama and has helped shatter the racialist mem, but let's not lose sight of the fact that in terms of delegates won Edwards came out almost as well, as did Hilary.   This was not any sort of crushing victory.

            by Rolfyboy6 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:11:30 PM PDT

          •  Edwards should have a cabinet post

            Secretary of Labor, maybe.  His concession speech was awesome.  He was my second choice and I really feel badly for him and his wife tonite...they worked so very hard.  I hope something really good comes of this for them.

            by cas2 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:29:01 PM PDT

            •  Hillary Clinton

              is giving a damned fine speech herself right now.  Building Brand Democrat.

              by HarveyMilk on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:31:30 PM PDT

      •  not close at all n/t

        by blueterp on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:31:50 PM PDT

•  It was amazing

  Obama is not my primary candidate of choice, but I wish to congratulate him, Michelle, and all Obama's supporters.

  by Iddybud on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:39:05 PM PDT

•  Thank you, HarveyMilk.

  I really mean that. You made a bad mistake - but I have made bad mistakes before as well.

  As another gay person, I can only say to you that I hear you that McClurkin was bullshit. It didn't give you the right to do what you did, what you already know that. I hope that if Obama wins the primary, the fact that he supports federal level civil unions (the only of the big three to do so, I believe) will be some consolation.

  Seriously, this means a lot to me tonight.

  by brklyngrl on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:39:18 PM PDT

  •  Thanks for your kind words.

    And I don't want to make this about me, but I will say this:  I posted a racist diary, borne of blind rage and too much tequila.  But I am not a racist. That's not in my heart.

    by HarveyMilk on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:44:48 PM PDT

  •  Agreed. n/t

    by malharden on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:06:08 PM PDT

•  uh Harvey...

  don't you mean President Obama

  by RumsfeldResign on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:42:30 PM PDT

  •  Not yet.

    But it certainly may turn out that way.

    by HarveyMilk on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:45:17 PM PDT

•  There was a moment in 1988 . . .

  as the primaries came to my state of NY where it appeared within the realm of possibility that candidate Jesse Jackson could win the nomination.  It lasted only a moment but it was noticeable.  This is much more dramatic:   We have a frontrunner.  It's not just possible, Barack Obama has an excellent chance of being our nominee.  I have no dog in this fight but we all  might just take a moment and think about what just happened.

  HM, it was good of you to write this.  Perhaps the healing begins tonight.

  by MajorFlaw on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:44:49 PM PDT

•  What a Day

  For the first time in a long time I am proud of my country.  We have a long way to go, but what a start.  I not only think of Dr. King but all of those who died in the Civil Right Movement, white and black, who helped make this day possible.

  by Jeffrey Kohan on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:44:58 PM PDT

•  Bygones.

  I never saw the diary that caused the upset, but I'm also not one to hold grudges if someone genuinely apologizes and this seems like it genuine.

  by smartdemmg on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:48:07 PM PDT

  •  Most of us have felt the same, smartdemmg...

    Not to diminish Harveymilk's gracious diary, but I think most of us were committed to supporting the winner whomever that might be and regardless of our previous arguments on DKos.  I even thought I might have to vote for Clinton...and I still might ...but I'd rather have a root canal.
    I'm an Obama supporter so I have no complaints. However, even if Obama lost, I'd still consider this caucus (including Huckabee's victory) a big win for Democrats and Independents and all right thinking people who want to get the current crop of Republican bastards out of D.C. and our lives before it's too late.  

    by cas2 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:25:19 PM PDT

    •  cas2. Ditto.

      I'm also an Obama supporter and am excited and ready to volunteer this morning.

      by smartdemmg on Fri Jan 04, 2008 at 07:09:21 AM PDT

•  WHEW!

  I'm really glad La Hill didn't win.

  by The Truffle on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 06:52:02 PM PDT

•  Tomorrow's reading assignment

  ...check out Watching Americatomorrow.  This is the Foreign Press Assn site that reports on newspapers from around the world, translated into English.  Mathews is right: Obama has a huge following on every continent and this will be big news around the globe.

  by cas2 on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:03:02 PM PDT

•  A class thing to do Harvey

  Nice of you to say.

  by snout on Thu Jan 03, 2008 at 07:12:44 PM PDT