Are You Crying Yet?

The last time I cried the morning after an election was 1980. I got up to discover that Reagan had won, and I knew for sure where we were headed. We got there. I remember standing in front of the TV with my two-year-old in my arms and feeling wretched and teary. So, twenty-six long and shocking years later, I finally cried again, but this time from pleasure and disbelief rather than fear. And one of the people I have to thank for my joy is that former two-year-old, who has spent the last fifteen months working for Chet Culver and Patty Judge (who beat the Republican Nussle in Iowa by 17 points the last time I looked). This nation is going to be digging itself out of the Republican hole for a long time, but at least we have gotten started. My heartfelt thanks to every poll watcher, campaign worker, blogger, book-writer, disaffected former Bush administration official, Clinton-defender, political jokester, outraged scientist, gay-and-proud activist, liberal screamer, liberal schemer, secular humanist, Republican convert, and Democratic voter! Hallelujah!