Non-Knitty Topic: Such an amazing sense of relief

Like many Americans, I am feeling a huge sense of relief today.

Obama won!

Not only does this mean that the Bush era will come to a close (although the repercussions will likely be felt for decades), but it represents a true first for me:

I finally had a candidate to vote for.

While I have voted in every Presidential election since I was old enough to do so, I have never once felt like I had a candidate to vote for. I always felt like I was voting into office the lesser of two evils, or that I was voting against the guy I couldn't stand.

Not this time. While I don't agree with all of Obama's views, I have to say that I have never felt such a sense of respect for a Presidential candidate, regardless of his party affiliation. (I'm a registered Independent, and have been so since the age of 18.) I've never felt such a sense of hope in regards to a Presidential candidate. It's been hard to avoid getting attacked for my choice of candidates (I'm in an area where you can't swing a baseball bat without hitting a McCain/Palin sign). It's been even harder watching Dubya screw around for the past eight years.

Back in 2000, Republicans told me that my duty as an American citizen was to support the President-elect, even though I didn't vote for him and even though I felt like he was the worst thing that could have happened to the office. "Get over it," they said. "He's the President. Deal with it." I heard the same thing in 2004.

I certainly hope that they will practice what they preach, and do what they have asked of me since November 2000.

In other fantastic news, Elizabeth Dole is OUT of the Senate! I have despised that woman since the 1980s. I think I may be one of just a few people in NC who wasn't surprised by the nasty depths of her smear campaign.