A More Perfect Union

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Had you asked me four years ago, I wouldn't have given a nickel for the chances that America would survive to see the 2008 election. In fact, I'd have given about even odds of the world as a whole surviving to see this day. But here we are only a few hours removed from what can only be called a watershed moment in history. And I'd like to take a moment to thank the people who made it possible.

Obviously without a candidate viable enough to take on the establishment, this race would have been over before it started. In 2004 I wrote that progressives needed to not only win the election, but win it convincingly. Sadly, for many reasons, our future was delayed. But from there, we were able to retool, rebuild and put forth a better candidate for this chance. So I thank President Elect Obama for his fortitude and his unyielding commitment to an ideal of hope.

I thank the countless volunteers who worked tirelessly across the country getting new voters registered, getting registered voters energized and getting all voters to the polls. These nameless ones provided the backbone of this victory and it's on their shoulders that this campaign truly rested.

These are the obvious ones on the list of thank-you's. But there are a couple of other, less obvious ones I want to send out today as well.

I feel that I have to give a lot of credit to John McCain for his concession speech. As nasty as this campaign got at times, he showed a depth of character in defeat that I find encouraging. And if he is sincere about bridging the party gap and working with the new President, he may do the country a bigger service in defeat than he could ever have done in victory. I hope that he and his supporters recognize this opportunity for what it is. A truly non-partisan governance with only the future of the nation as the goal is ... well, it's a bit too optimistic even on this day. But progress is incremental. Progress is generational. And if yesterday is any indication, progress is underway.

And as strange as it may sound (especially coming from me), I want to say thank you to the man responsible for awakening the American electorate from years of ennui and apathy. That could only happen when the country hit bottom, when times became so desperate that the only recourse remaining was to rise up and demand change. It took eight years of disastrous policy decisions, eight years of corruption and greed, eight years of flagrant abuses of power but it finally happened. So Mr. Sitting President, in your own way you have helped make this day possible. By running the country into the ground you have created the phoenix that will rise from the ashes of the opening years of this century and become a stronger, more thoughtful, more peaceful and far more united America.

The campaign is over. But the work is just beginning. Over the last several months we have seen that we -- the people -- can make a difference. We've seen that what we think, what we say, what we do does matter. We have seen and heard and felt the sea change that we have helped to bring about. And even as jaded as I am, I can't suppress the excitement I feel when I look ahead to an America where the dreams of our founding fathers may finally be realized. Because when I look ahead at what can be, what I see is what's described in a document I had almost come to believe didn't mean anything anymore.

When I look ahead, I can see a More Perfect Union.

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