The Three Sweetest Words: President-Elect Obama

It truly is incredible to be able to say that he is, "President-Elect Obama." Four years ago as of this past July, I was introduced to Barack Obama in the Fleet Center at the Democratic National Convention. His speech there was like nothing I had ever seen before. He held the audience in his hand and blew everyone away, making him the talk of the convention even if he wasn't the nominee.

Then at the beginning of 2007 he started down the path of a hard campaign to become our 44th President. Wow, just, wow! I wasn't a supporter at first, but by February of this year I jumped on board and the more I gave to the campaign in small donations and larger amounts of time, the more I got back from the candidate. Sure, we've had our disagreements but in the end our similarities unite all of us around our next President.

All the hard work had finally culminated into the last day of the election and what a day Tuesday, November 4th was. I bounded out of my apartment just before 6am, giddy and teary at being able to vote for Barack Obama. Seeing the 45 minute line that awaited me was an inspiration, knowing that so many of us were doing whatever it took to cast our ballots for a change. From then on I worked at a couple of poll sites for a candidate out in Queens but kept abreast of the news from my Treo during the day.

Finally it was getting too dark to see and it was time to head back to the city. Watching the first returns at dinner (the place at wifi!) gave me hope but I simply had no idea. The first party at DL21C on west 50th was overcrowded, smelly and loud but the metaphorical air was as sweet as a pastry shop. State after state came in blue and we all cheered. My girlfriend and I however, were in need of some air, so out we went and then over to the NY State Democratic Party party at the Sheraton in Midtown.

The big airy room was packed with revellers and politicians, but was much more amenable and there we stayed until after midnight. When Virginia went blue, I knew it was over, but I just had to see the west coast close their polls to make it official, because the news was almost too good to be true. Yet, it was true and at eleven o'clock, President-Elect Obama was a reality, and the room filled with cheers and screams, followed by tears and hugs. And to top it off, when Governor Paterson came out to speak (during McCain's concession speech) he announced we had won the State Senate back as well, and it added the icing to an already sweet, incredible and Earth-changing cake.