Thank you, Iowa!!

[girl gone mad]

The first time I saw the name 'Barack Obama' was right here on DU, back in 2003. "You should watch this guy, he's going places," DUers were saying. No Republican wanted to run against him for the Senate after Jack Ryan dropped out. Even then, the word was: "Obama walks on water." We knew we were witnessing the birth of a great politician.

Obama's speech to the DNC in 2004 was one of the highlights of the campaign. Barack was an incredibly effective public speaker, with a message that resonated across race, gender and generational lines. I made it a point to watch every interview he gave.

When I stayed in Chicago last summer, I got to see him in person the day he came out to give encouragement to picketing hotel employees. From the sidelines, I saw that he was genuine and empathetic.

None of this was enough to persuade me to support Obama at the start of the primaries. After 7 years of living in the Bush nightmare; after nearly 30 years of living with the disease known as Reaganism, I wanted us to win this one in a landslide.

The first time I felt the possibility was the night Obama took Iowa. Not only had he actually gotten young people and white people to turn out and vote for him, he had beaten a true political giant in the process.

Watching Obama deliver his victory address on that cool, dark Iowa night, it was clear that something transformative was taking place. He gave a brilliant speech, as expected, but it wasn't the candidate who left the greatest impression on me. It was the audience surrounding him. Fixed on his words with such intensity and purpose, their energy was mesmerizing. As Obama delivered his lines, the crowd roared back "yes we can!", a chant that sounded like a steam train gathering momentum as it rolls down the tracks.

Whether it's a landslide or not, Iowans did something revolutionary last May. To all of those who caucused, I want to say thank you for having a vision.

[girl gone mad]

1. Kick for the win!!

THANK YOU IOWA!!!

You picked a winner!!!