Forgive me, but I'm already thinking about November 5th and beyond. I'm thinking about November, 2010 and November 2012. I'm thinking about how hard the other side will be working to discredit our Democratic-led government. I'm thinking about how hard it is to maintain a majority after you've won. But I'm also thinking that what determines the majority of votes is one question: "Are you better off than you were four (two, eight, whatever) years ago?"
If the answer to that question is a resounding YES, the Democratic Party will be leading this nation into a New Deal-esque resurgence, and we'll hold Congress and the White House for decades. If the answer is no, well, we'll all have done a lot of political work for naught.
But we - you and I - can have a direct impact on whether or not this is a better place two, four, eight years from now. I, for one, pledge to do EVERYTHING I CAN to make my block, my city, my state, my nation and my world a better place. I'm leaving it all on the road for the next four years.
First, I pledge to be a better husband, father, son, brother and friend. I can have a direct and positive impact on the people around me. I can listen more (and more carefully), I can laugh more freely and I can care more deeply. When I strengthen my family I strengthen America.
Second, I pledge to be my brother's keeper, my sister's keeper. That means volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. There are people in my neighborhood - and yours - who need a place to sleep and a hot meal. There are children who need someone to help them learn to read. It's my responsibility to do everything I can to help them to a better place. I've worked for them in the past, but there's more I can do, and I will. When I strengthen my neighborhood I strengthen America.
Third, I pledge to be a better employee, colleague and boss. I can be more focused at the office. I can help my colleagues do the same. I can make my workplace better, which makes the wheels of the economy turn more smoothly. When I strengthen my workplace, I strengthen America.
I pledge to do all these things, and if we ALL make those same or similar pledges, if we ALL work as hard (and as smart) to fix the world around us as Barack Obama has worked for the past two years, this nation and this world will be a better place when the next election rolls around. The next election can be a walk in the park if we all do the right thing every day.
That's my pledge. Will you join me?