It's Almost Time

Before too long, voting lines will draw down and polling will come to a close. Soon, I will take my favorite spot on the sofa, turn on my television, and begin some serious deep breathing exercises.

What an incredible experience it has been to both witness and participate in this election season. It was historic on many fronts. One being the enormous role technology and, more specifically, the Internet played in it. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and the blogosphere in general really made it possible for Barack to maximize the potential of his grassroots ideals. Who could forget Obama Girl or Will.i.am's tribute to those three famous words? The Internet gave his base a different kind of voice and a phenomenal way to move the campaign forward. It was one of his not-so-secret ingredients for success.

Speaking of technology, BarackObama.com has got to be the next great case-study in campaign-strategy innovation. From as early on in the campaign as I can remember, my husband signed us up to receive email updates on all the latest campaign happenings. From those updates and from checking into the website, we've enjoyed easy access to pertinent campaign information, attended rallies, volunteered our time, donated money, and even bought ourselves some Obama gear...I mean, really! Although I'm an active voter, I've never participated this much in one election campaign before! It was a great adventure and we met some really cool people along the way.

It was good that Barack understood the important issues and communicated his vision with eloquence and conviction. And it was great that he promoted a culture of teamwork among his base. But I believe his strongest asset and the key to his success was his ability to surround himself with really smart people. He had a winning combination of advisers, strategists, IT people, and staff. My favorite among them is Michelle. Barack's greatest ambassador and the brightest spot in his campaign. I have tremendous admiration for her. With this kind of support in his corner, I have no reservations about Barack's ability to fill the role of Commander-in-Chief.

My first introduction to Barack Obama was while watching the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He was described as the party's rising star and it was easy to see why. His keynote address opened my mind to new possibilities which, at the time, was a tremendous feat. Back in 2002, I was growing fearful of the post-9/11 feeding frenzy on civil liberties and the blood lust for anyone remotely resembling Osama bin Laden. I was very angry about the rush into Iraq and disturbed at the thought of what it would mean for us in the long run. When I learned of the timing of Sen. Obama's stand against the war in Iraq, wow, I just knew...I don't know, if you are a Matrix fan, perhaps you'd understand.


Barack Obama fought hard to transcend the divisive issues that continually holds this country back. He proved himself a man for all American people. He eloquently and passionately reminded us that we share a common dream for a more perfect union.


I truly hope that enough Americans choose to believe in Barack's message of change. He is not a messiah, he's not perfect, but he is the best man to lead us through the tough times times ahead. I hope to see him emerge as President-elect. This is what I want to see recorded in the pages of history. It's time.