Holy crap

I was pretty sure it would happen intellectually, but it didn't really sink in until Senator McCain's concession speech, which I listened to in a room full of sleep-deprived Obama organizers. Too much to process, and a victory in many ways larger than we could have hoped for. The caveats are, of course, that many victories came by slim margins in states that are still very politically conservative, and that the Obama administration must now deliver on its promises of change for a country crippled by years of mismanagement and a severe financial crisis.

However, among the uncertainties of the future, I find several points compelling:

1. From the Illinois Senate race through the Democratic primaries and caucuses through the presidential election, Barack Obama has been consistently underestimated by his opponents, and he has made them pay for every such mistake. He's always had a plan that he has proceeded to execute efficiently and with a minimum of drama. I think by now that he should receive at least the benefit of the doubt regarding his future plans.

2. Here we are on Day 2 of the Obama administration, and I have yet to see an Al Sharpton cabinet appointment, mass confiscation of guns, forced conversion of Americans to Islam, or violent rioting in the streets. Yet many people, if the internet is to be believed, considered these things to be a real possibility. Obama's victory speech promising to be the president of all Americans augurs well for his eventual stewardship of the reins of government, and his equitable administration of the power of his office for the country as a whole.

3. We were a generation required by our leaders to sit on our couches and shop until Barack Obama called us to sacrifice for him. Now he will call us to sacrifice for the country. He's not going to let those of us who supported him off the hook now that the election is over. To quote from the email campaign contributors and volunteers received shortly before his victory speech:

We just made history.

And I don't want you to forget how we did it.

You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.

I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.

We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.

Even with my minimal contribution, the campaign's organization constantly pushed me to give more, volunteer more, follow Barack's lead. I've never felt anything like the push from that organization and the leadership it provided. He's not going to let us off the hook that easy. He's going to be in touch. If I lived in the rest of this world, I wouldn't underestimate the United States.