Election Night 2008

How many blogs about election night 2008 are going up right now? We spent the night as has become tradition in our house...inviting all friends and just leaving our doors open with lots of food on the kitchen counters and the TVs blaring election coverage.

We had several friends come this year and also several kids. Everyone was excited...watching returns with checked anticipation. Even the kids came around every half hour or so to check progress. As always, spirited discussions made the evening even more fun as we watched and waited. We cheered as we saw Pennsylvania go to Obama...then Ohio! Florida and Virginia...it was only a matter of time at that point.

And then it was suddenly called. The shock hit everyone and you could feel the release. Tim had brought a bottle of champagne and we uncorked it and poured it into styrofoam cups.

Later on, only Tim and I were left in the den, watching the speeches roll in from McCain and then Obama. The crowd in Chicago was huge. Then people began streaming onto Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House. It was amazing. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was such a spontaneous display of celebration. It was like watching the whole nation undergo therapy on live television.

Before we went to bed, Patti remarked that Bush must not like seeing all those people in front of the White House. My head spun...I hadn't even thought about Bush still being in there. It felt to me like the place had been vacated months ago.

Lots of people remarked that they wished they could have been in that field in Chicago, and I understand why they felt that way. But not me. I wanted to be with that crowd on the White House lawn, where crowds had brought in Andrew Jackson so long ago. The joy in their faces was unmistakable. I wanted to run with them to the gates with tears in my eyes too, finally reclaiming my property.