It's a Beautiful Day!

............America, we are a better country than these last eight years. We are a better country than this. This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.

We're a better country than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment that he's worked on for 20 years and watch as it's shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news.

We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty...that sits on it's hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.

Tonight, I say to the people of America, to Democrats and Republicans and independents across this great land....................................

ENOUGH!

Time for Jason to weigh in. I'll admit I wasn't sure about Barack Obama until his acceptance speech at the DNC. But as the word "ENOUGH!" echoed across the stadium, I knew THIS was the candidate we have been praying for. The country doesn't just need strong leadership, economic relief, security, etc. We need to feel inspired. Proud. President Obama made us feel hope. Think about it, when was the last time you saw 240,000 people cry when their candidate was elected? It didn't even happen when Reagan was elected, and he had a larger electoral victory. Obama has everything Bill Clinton had in terms of intelligence, charisma, and an understanding of what us common folk are going through. Plus higher moral standards and a lifelong commitment to making things better. He has served as a teacher, a community activist, a Senator, and now as President. Not just someone who we can grab a beer with.

I admit also that I was very surprised at my reaction to his campaign and eventual election. I believe in him. I teared up when he won. There is a palpable sense of HOPE in this country that will finally change the tone of politics and finally bring American attitudes into the now eight-year-old millennium. Why this hope?

This little boy. We believe in politicians because we want to give something meaningful, something better, to our children. I don't work nights because I want to. Sheree doesn't get up at all hours of the night because it's fun. We love this little boy, and we are trying to give him something that matters: love, security, good health, and HOPE! We voted for Barack Obama because of hope. We want to pass that kind of hope, and the country that that hope will create, to Jack.

I'm certain some people reading this blog didn't vote for Obama. That's ok. But we all have to honor the results of this election. The situation this country is in is dire. We all have to support this good man as he works to correct the problems we face.

So, I'm sitting here writing this, listening to U2 sing about how "It's a Beautiful Day!". I'll change and feed Jack, then take him to his beautiful mother for a night on the town. Then I'll go to work. Like always. But with a new sense of hope that we can get things in America back on track.