Jubilation & Awe in Chicago

CHICAGO, Illinois -- When they announced that he'd finally done it, I was standing next to an Obama press secretary and speechwriter, two of the many brilliant young people who powered his remarkable campaign. They had huge grins on their face but also seemed in disbelief. The dream that Obama had talked about so often now didn't seem real. He'd actually done it. President Obama.

When Obama came out to speak to the country and his adoring fans, the predominant mood among the tens of thousands of people packed into Grant Park in downtown Chicago was jubilation but also awe, and maybe a little shock. "It feels so surreal," one Obama staffer told me.

The crowd reflected the same people that put Obama in this position: the coalition of young people, minorities and new voters that so many pundits thought couldn't pull it out. This is now their time, as Obama likes to say. The campaign and its supporters were as improbable as the candidate himself. These young voters and staffers and volunteers, in particular, will be a force to be reckoned with for decades to come.

No matter how old you were, the sense of history tonight was palpable. "We Still Have the Dream," read the shirt of one elderly black woman. "This is our generation's moon shot," a friend who traveled from New York told me. He wore a shirt that said: "Chicago's in the House." Tonight we witnessed the first true election of the 21st century. Those who struggled in the civil rights movement drew inspiration from what came before them, and those young people who joined them in this journey drew inspiration from the better days they believed could be ahead.

The streets of Chicago will be electric tonight. This is a city that cherishes and celebrates its local icons, whether it be Saul Bellow, Studs Terkel or the Chicago Bulls. And now President-elect Obama, the most historic of them all.

Comments (18)

1. WOOT WOOT! PARTY HEARTY!!!!!

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/05/2008 @ 01:01am

2. "The crowd reflected the same people that put Obama in this position: the coalition of young people, minorities and new voters that so many pundits thought couldn't pull it out. This is now their time, as Obama likes to say. The campaign and its supporters were as improbable as the candidate himself. These young voters and staffers and volunteers, in particular, will be a force to be reckoned with for decades to come."

   aw come on, ARI - there WERE a few old dem hack middle aged white guys helping out too (like from before the first primary...ahem...)...

   LMAO!!!

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/05/2008 @ 01:04am

3. oooh,

   alaska's closed....

   Posted by frosty zoom at 11/05/2008 @ 01:06am

4. Congratulations to everyone.

   However, I do not envy the tasks that lay before our new President.

   He has much work to do, though I have no doubts he can handle them.

   Posted by Benchrest at 11/05/2008 @ 01:08am

5. Posted by frosty zoom at 11/05/2008 @ 01:06am | ignore this person | warn this person

   not sayin' nuthin bad...you betcha...

   its a new day!!!

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/05/2008 @ 01:08am

6. He has much work to do, though I have no doubts he can handle them.

   Posted by Benchrest at 11/05/2008 @ 01:08am | ignore this person | warn this person

   i think people understand the nature of the problem pretty well.

   now time for barry O to lead and lower expectations...just a little...and/or set a do-able time table...

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/05/2008 @ 01:10am

7. now time for barry O to lead and lower expectations...just a little...and/or set a do-able time table...

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/05/2008 @ 01:10am

   Yeah right! Barry O is a dream come true for Pelosi, Reid and Emmanuel. They will twist his policies like a NY pretzel.

   Posted by ACook at 11/05/2008 @ 02:01am

8. LOL

   Sour grapes.

   Hilarious!

   Good night!

   Posted by TexasFlood at 11/05/2008 @ 02:24am

9. Red's Dream:

   "it was a dream, a dream I had last ni-ight, I dreamed I went to the UN and set the WHOLE nation right!"

   (from soundtrack to doco film "Atomic Cafe".)

   he also sang: "get those missiles out of Cuba, or I'll give you a Georgia shave!"

   Australia, like much of the world that is tuned in, is celebrating, and not just with relief; but with some hope that mini-Mandela can get funds out to the schools in rabid Red states like Kentucky, West Virginia and even Louisiana; as well as into the boroughs of the neglected cities.

   Posted by bazdicoot at 11/05/2008 @ 03:51am

10. ...but with some hope that mini-Mandela can get funds out to the schools in rabid Red states like Kentucky, West Virginia and even Louisiana; as well as into the boroughs of the neglected cities.

    Posted by bazdicoot at 11/05/2008 @ 03:51am

    "mini-Mandela" - LOL "Dog whistle", anyone?

    The vast majority of school funding comes from property taxes, whose rates are set locally. States like Kentucky and Louisiana (and my home state, Tennessee), or localities therein, CHOOSE to underfund their school systems.

    *I* don't agree with this approach (an education which will provide a student with the skills required to make a decent living is not only a basic human right, it's a requirement if conservatives don't want to support people UNABLE to support themselves), but the EXACT SAME PEOPLE who make comments like the above are the same ones who'll scream bloody murder about "losing local control" by taking Federal funding - and if you want MY tax dollars to fix the primitive school systems in places like Louisiana w/o the Feds having any control over how it is spent, you have another think coming.

    As to "No Child Left with a Brain": As of Jan. 20, 2009, it is NO LONGER the responsibility of the POTUS to ensure that Neil Bush has a "job" (sic).

    Posted by grndrush at 11/05/2008 @ 07:17am

11. Yeah right! Barry O is a dream come true for Pelosi, Reid and Emmanuel. They will twist his policies like a NY pretzel.

    Posted by ACook at 11/05/2008 @ 02:01am

    Thats some pretty sour grapes you got there, I believe you are better than that. This is a great time for children. Not only that they see how great our country is, but, services to children will be increased, as will care for the mentally ill and the disenfrancised. Don't stay behind in the past. Those days are on the way out. This is a step forward in the evolution of the American Psyche.

    Posted by Truthman at 11/05/2008 @ 07:21am

12. Posted by Truthman at 11/05/2008 @ 07:21am

    No sour grapes for me. I didn't vote for either presidential candidate. Besides, I don't see much getting done under an Obama administration, so I'm biding my time until we republicans put a true conservative back in the WH.

    So use these four years wisely.

    Posted by ACook at 11/05/2008 @ 08:19am

13. ACook -

    denial ain't just a river in Egypt. Redefine the English language all you want (it worked for ElRod Hubbard); words have meanings. Lipstick on a pig doesn't change the pig. Your words ARE sour grapes.

    I can assure you of one thing: you'll see PLENTY getting done (LEGALLY, EVEN!) under Obama. And because if that, we'll take our 8 years, thank you very much. I suspect MANY Republicans are going to be PLEASANTLY surprised (and likely upset over THAT) before Obama leaves office - many will very liikely be supporters long before then.

    IMNSHO (along with pretty much every single person at the 140-person party I attended last night), 8 years from now there won't BE a viable national GOP. There'll be a "rump" of southern racists, and likely a third party (I'm guessing Ron Paul-ish in nature). And you two can split the right for a century for all we care. GOP-A @ 25% + GOP-B @ 25% + Democratic @ 50+ = DECADES of Democrats running the show.

    We had to rebuild our party - and we did. Your turn.

    And you only have yourselves to blame. Re-read your post. The answer to last night's outcome is right there in black and white. Pardon the pun.

    Posted by grndrush at 11/05/2008 @ 08:50am

14. No sour grapes for me. I didn't vote for either presidential candidate. Besides, I don't see much getting done under an Obama administration, so I'm biding my time until we republicans put a true conservative back in the WH.

    So use these four years wisely.

    Posted by ACook at 11/05/2008 @ 08:19am

    The days of those types of conservatives are done! Pay attention to the vast number of young voters, they are the true power of the future. I was part of it in the late 60s and it was great. You are going to witness a vast social shift to sanity. The future will bring compassion and fairness to all. We will regain our standing in the world and lead once more.

    Obama will get a lot done. He has the will of the people behind him and the strength of the youth as his sword!

    Posted by Truthman at 11/05/2008 @ 09:06am

15. People like ACook are just the type of repugs that has caused Army veterans like myself to abandon the GOP. This bigotry and ignorance is giving the Party a bad image both here and abroad, but these folks can't see it because they are so blinded with the Rush, Hannity and Bill O'Reilly nonsense nonsense and the Palin ignorant coded messages. Grow up ACook, please.

    Posted by Gusto at 11/05/2008 @ 8:03pm

16. The federal government doing things legally? As in making a law and following it? What a quaint idea! Let's try it, it might be fun!

    Posted by ciotog17 at 11/05/2008 @ 11:05pm

17. The federal government doing things legally? As in making a law and following it? What a quaint idea! Let's try it, it might be fun!

    Posted by ciotog17 at 11/05/2008 @ 11:06pm

18. Howdy ya'll! This here's a diverse crowd, even th pucillinaneously aloof one, goin' with the flow.

    I hope O'bama, as he is known to call hisself, will pull back th missle shield from Poland after consulting with the Poles, as a gesture, with th Soviets, er, I mean, th Ruckies, still an omnipotent neighboor. No harm done. Iran is the other way. Besides, we still got our Bohemian bike trails.

    Of course, any economic investment will require more deficit spending, initially, perhaps for a while, as we are all burdoned by the payback for this current mess our country finds itself in. Stopping the neo-cons' abusive self-serving national spending should be priority numero uno!

    Posted by Jim Willingham at 11/08/2008 @ 1:27pm