OBAMA DOES IT!

Sixteen months after the long and bitter democratic primary season, Barack Obama claims the Democratic nomination for the President of the United States! Being the first black candidate on a major party ticket, Barack Obama has changed history and defined a new generation of politics for America.

Although Barack's nomination was in the making for a couple of months now, today reminds us all that anything is truly possible. Being the son of a Kenyan immigrant father and white Kansan mother, being a junior first-term senator who was almost unknown before he started this race, and running against an opponent with a political dynasty, the odds couldn't have been worse for Obama. Barack's success lies in his picking the right campaign message at the right time, being politically savvy, and having an opponent that stumbled more than once.

Moving to November, it won't be a landslide victory for the Democrats. Obama won the nomination of a party that is known to be socially liberal. Putting his name on the ballot at the national level is a much different story. It was evident is the last stages of the primary season that Obama still has difficulties wooing older and blue-collar white working class voters, a constituency that is critical to winning in November. He also continues to be plagued with controversies with his former pastors, and it is still unknown what else will come to the press before November. On the bright side though, he runs at a time when the country is ready for change, when Americans are tired of years of Bush policies, and when there is an unprecedented number of new young voter registrations that are more likely to vote for Obama.

I just finished watching Obama's victory speech and it brought tears to my eyes. The man knows how to stir a crowd and it is quite refreshing to see a leader inspire his people. It makes me feel proud of a country where no matter what the situation is or what the odds are, anything is truly possible.