Fellow Kossacks, tonight I feel something that I know many of you share. Pride. Tonight, I did not attend the convention, no media pundits asked my opinion, and I shook no famous hands. I sat, like you, and watched C-SPAN, and commented excitedly on liveblogs and speech discussions (I am, without a doubt, the most politically inclined of my friends). But I felt an electricity in the air nonetheless, a certain strength, the swelling sense of pride. Tonight, I was proud to be a Democrat.
Like many of you, I was an Edwards supporter at first. But, somewhat early on, when it became clear to me that he was going nowhere this election cycle, I switched over to Obama. Already with a fully busy life, I didn't have much time. But that didn't stop me from donating what I could, talking to friends and family one at a time, earnestly, about why Obama was the right person to lead our country, passionately debating conservative friends, and calling people across the country on Obama's behalf. Eventually, I joined with a local student group, and began volunteering late at night, entering polling data, making phone calls, and, eventually, trudging through the snow at 5 o'clock in the morning to work crowd control at an Obama rally. I comment here, write the occasional diary, and continue to stay as passionately involved as I am able.
Why? Because I love the Democratic party, what it stands for, and what I know it can become. We are a party of the people -- all the people. Not merely the wealthy elites, not merely the corporate donors, not merely the oil and gas lobby. Watching New Mexico yield to Illinois, Illinois yield to New York, and Hillary Clinton move for an acclamation, I felt pride. Thank you, Senator Clinton. Scripted or not, the spirit and unity of the Democratic party was clear. One party, one people: the American people. Then, when first Bill Clinton, then John Kerry, and later Joe Biden took the stage and spoke, I felt the electricity in the air again. I was reminded that government could fight for me, for all American people, and not merely for corporations and the upper 0.01%. I am proud to call myself a Democrat.
I wear my Obama shirts unabashedly. The bumper stickers on my car make my political views perfectly clear. When a conservative begins to question my views, I am unafraid to fire back. I will stand on the street corner and shout, "Yes! I am liberal, I am a progressive, I am a Democrat!" I have been told that "liberal" is a dirty word, that I should stand quietly and support whoever is in government. I will not. I will fight for what I believe is right, look my challengers in the eye, and say back to them, "I am a liberal, I am a progressive, I am a Democrat."
We are an amazing, unified party, and we will fight for everyday Americans, those who have a voice, and especially those who do not. We have suffered under eight years of Republican rule, but no longer -- this is our year, and we will take back the White House. I can feel it in the air. Together, men and women, black and white, young and old, wealthy and impoverished, we will fight. One voice at a time, one vote at a time, we will take it back. We can do it. Our time has just begun.