It's like making love...

Well, it's happened.
What we've all been hoping for. It is indeed bittersweet.
I've been an advocate and supporter of Obama since I first became aware of his liberal record in the Senate. Despite his lack of experience, I feel he represents something elusive for a great many people. He is a symbol for anyone who doesn't fit in a box; who is not white and male and straight; anyone who feels that they want to change the world because they don't fit into this one.

Yes, he has a lot to prove. But there is a dignity and an eloquence about him that inspires people to suppress their cynicism and have a little hope. After Florida and Arizona and Arkansas, and now that California looks as if it's going the same way, you've gotta have a little hope. If not, what are you left with?

You may ask why I care so much. I am not American, after all. Well, the thing is, the USA is - whether you agree with its ideals or not - the most influential and powerful nation in the world. What happens in America affects other countries deeply, often more than our own political systems. And more than that, I have been brought up in a passionately liberal family that discusses politics over the dinner table. Which I love more than life.

So anyway, I stayed up all night to watch it, with my mum. We both cried like idiots and it was a strange bonding moment that I think I'll remember for a long time. I really hope this is one of those defining moments in history when people later ask: "Where were you when Obama was elected?"