Last Dance

well, tonight's the night. it's been a long, crazy journey my friends...

when the polls close in just about 30 minutes in south dakota and then in another hour after that in montana... this long, fascinating, ground-breaking primary season will come to an end.

the news networks have been slowly tracking the drip-drip of superdelegates coming out for obama today. the obama campaign (and, indeed, most democratic party leaders) want obama to have the ability to claim the democratic nomination by winning pledged delegates from one of the final two states. they don't want to wait for a press release that another superdelegate has put obama over the edge.

as chuck todd of msnbc says: obama wants his movie moment ending.

the networks have obama within 9 delegates of the 2,118 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. even if he loses both states tonight (which he won't) and only claims 15% threshold (of which he will - and more), obama will have enough delegates to make him the presumptive nominee.

it's funny.... i was reading some coverage of hillary today. early this morning the AP announced she would concede tonight. then reports refuted that fact. it appears she won't concede.

and suddenly...all the networks and all the pundits are willing to admit what a phenomenal fight she has fought. that she is due respect by everyone and that she should decide how she ends her campaign... and that maybe the superdelegates shouldn't come out before the polls close tonight out of respect. it's such a fascinating change in tenor.

and i admit to a moment of teary melancholia earlier today.... i've known hillary had lost a couple of months ago... but today (tonight) it's official. and i'm allowed my moment to mourn.

but i'm also struck by something else. today remains a historic day. an african american... barack obama... will head a major party's ticket as their nominee for president of the united states.

i spoke with my father earlier... a stoic man born in 1939. he told me he never thought he'd see a black man on a presidential ticket in his lifetime. but here it is...

and it is thrilling... it is awesome.

there is a lot of talk about slavery as this country's original sin.... and would most definitely agree. and now - an african american is a presidential nominee.

on august 28th 2008....the last day of the democratic national convention... 45 years to the day of martin luther king, jr.'s "i have a dream" speech... the dream will take another giant leap forward.

yes, i am a bit sad tonight. i still hope for my girl to be president one day (we'll talk about all the veep chatter another day). but i am ready to move forward. i am ready to support barack obama and my party.

tonight the hillary clinton sign comes down from my window.

but i am very proud of my party... and, oddly, my country. we have put an african american at the top of the ballot. we're growing as a nation.

gender equality...? let's hope it soon follows. (and hopefully we don't have to wait for 50 years!)

obama/clinton 08

e.

p.s. the cryptkeeper is delivering a speech right now from NOLA. it's amazing to look around a crowded room in new orleans and not see a single black person. unless, of course, you count the old men in the band. the GOP, party of inclusion...? it wouldn't appear so.