Excuse Me For Getting Emotional....

It's 9:30 a.m. here in Iowa and I just finished watching the Democratic Presidential Debate.  Say what you will about which candidate you like or dislike, I think you have to admit that the 2008 Presidential Election represents a tremendously historic time in the lives of Americans.

At the end of the debate (silly as it might sound) I found myself tearing up when I realized that most of the candidates on the stage would not have been there 40 or so years ago, and just how far we've come since that time.  There they were - 3 Catholics, a Black, a Hispanic and a Woman, all viable candidates for the office of President of the United States.  When the time comes that one of them is elected...and that will happen...I will be excited and proud to have been part of the process that brought them to that position.

As you know, I am very active in the campaign of Barack Obama.  I've never been so involved in a political campaign and he is the one who has inspired me to work as hard as I am.  I joined the Democratic Central Committee in my county and began to work on the campaign.  I took on the position of chairperson of our Women for Obama group and have just recently agreed to be a Precinct Captain during the caucus.  I will be either overjoyed or heartbroken if Obama (1) does not win the Iowa Caucus, (2) fails to win the Democratic nomination, or (3) fails to win the general election.  I have to believe I will be overjoyed when he goes all the way to the top.

As much as I support Obama, I realize that there is a very good possibility that Hillary Clinton will be the eventual Democratic nominee.  If that day comes, she will have my full support because I believe that any of the Democrats would be better than any of the Republicans.  I believe that, should she be elected, we will be better off than what we have endured through the years of Reagan, Bush 1 and Bush 2.

But the point of this post is how proud I am to live in this time in American history when we can have a Black or a Woman candidate who is a viable and serious candidate. We've come a very long way in my lifetime.

Please...exercise the opportunity to vote.  Join us in making history.  As Senator Obama says, "I want your vote, but if can't vote for me, vote for somebody."  This election is too important to sit on the sidelines!