hassan on Obama

Congratulations to President-elect Obama, his running mate, their families, the paid and volunteer staffs that worked so hard to put together a strong campaign and all of the Obama-cans across the land.

It is a big victory.

I am - in spite of my well-known feelings and thoughts and opinions on the matter - am optimstic about the opportunity this country has given itself. Listening to Obama's acceptance speech (which on some level evoked traces of Fidel Castro's victory sentiments in January 1959 "we've only won the right to begin") and hearing the intoxicating chant of YES WE CAN YES WE CAN was wind in the sails of progress. How much wind and in what direction will the boat be steered is another matter.

For now however, i applaud you all and i salute Senator McCain's gracious and somewhat stoic concession speech. He showed more class than many of his supporters (and thank you to Governor Palin for not saying a WORD during it all).

Excitement is in the air. It is palpable. It is virtually tangible. It is strong.

The irony of where i was tonight versus four years ago was not lost on me today or tonight. Four years ago, i was at a swank Houston get-together at a nice hotel adjacent to the Musuem of Fine Art in that great city hobnobbing with dems and psuedodems as returns coming in from around the country drew mild interest (folks were too busy being plastic). The mayor was there and i'll never forget the look of glaze on his face when he realized that i did not want mere small-talk; i wanted substance. But, not on this night, not at that place. Superficiality borne of we'll dance with whomever's buying was the order of the evening and follks were buying!

It was a most disgusting affair.

Tonight, however, i spent it with about 15 teenagers about to age-out of the dysfunctional foster care system in Los Angeles ... in a class room at a community college in South Central. These kids, whom "experts" will tell you don't care about anything, were excited, happy, enthusiastic, Obama-ized ... they were eager about the political process, about democracy! The air of business as usual in Htown four years ago was replaced the faces of change in L.A.

I have more thoughts but i think i'll go to bed with those nice ones for now....

Un abrazo fuerte ... pa todo.

- h a s s a n