Yes. We. Did.

Yes we did, and I have the button to show for it.

July 27, 2004: My uncle decided to leave the DNC in Boston a little early that night. I had been listening to the speeches over the course of a couple of days from high up in the nose bleed section, more distracted by my immediate surroundings than the color of Hillary's suit. But that night, my uncle handed me his floor pass and I found my way to sit next to Marianella, one of Tom's staffers. I was excited to hear Teresa Heinz Kerry, but before she came on, I was going to have to listen to some senatorial candidate with a name that I couldn't seem to get to stick in my head. "What's his name again?" I said to Marianella. "Barack. Obama," she said with great excitement. But I kind of shrugged my shoulders and took my seat, hoping I would have enough energy to stay awake for Teresa. Dick Durbin introduced the young State Senator and the signs went up--a sea of "OBAMA," a site that has now become more household than I would have imagined 4 years ago--and the cheers began. Seemingly everyone in that room had heard of this guy except for me. So I sat and listened: "Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely." His presence on that stage? How about his presence on stage in front of 100,000 people in the city of my alma mater, St. Louis? How about his presence on stage in front of a countless number of people in Grant Park? How about his presence on the stage on January 20, 2009, behind a podium that will bear the Seal of the President of the United States? How about THAT?

Obama spoke for I don't know how long, but he spoke in a way that captured everyone in that convention hall. He spoke in a way that convinced me that there was no way that he could be reading from a teleprompter. He spoke in a way that inspired all of us to believe in the politics of Hope: "the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too."

At the end of Obama's speech back in 2004, I, someone who was FOR Kerry and not just AGAINST Bush, turned to Marianella and said, "Too bad we can't vote for him!" It even crossed my mind that maybe he could run next time, but surely that wouldn't happen because who goes from State Senator to President in 4 or even 8 years? But I can admit when I am wrong. And guess what? I was so wrong. And I am so glad that I was.

I can proudly say I was one of the first million to join the Obama movement. I went against many of my high school friends working on the Clinton campaign. I even took on the whole Firestone family in a heated discussion one summer night on the Cape. (Btw, a huge congratulations to Mike Firestone, the Field Director for the NH Coordinated Campaign, on the Shaheen victory). I had the bumper sticker, and knocked on doors as a way of avoiding studying for organic chemistry. Because some things are just more important than the finer points of a nucleophilic addition.

So here we are. November 7, 2008. I spent most of election night skirting around the swanky bowling alley where my organization was hosting our election night party. But not too long after the election was called by CNN around 8:03 PST, I stepped outside to get some air where a large crowd had gathered in the street, dancing to the music of a local marching band that had shown up unplanned. I have never seen such pure jubilation, especially not in this country. The band, March 4th, played for close to 2 hours. I all but abandoned post at the election party to join in the celebration. Never mind that our staff had been at work since 6:00 that morning. And so I went to bed that night feeling relieved, but more importantly, renewed.

The next evening at my choir practice, we sang "Strangest Dream." A song that we have been rehearsing for a couple of weeks now suddenly carried new weight. A new hope. A new reality.

Last night I had the strangest dream I ever dreamed before.
I dreamed the world had all agreed to put an end to war.

I dreamed I saw a mighty room and the room was filled with men.
The paper they were signing said they'd never fight again.

And when the papers all were signed and a million copies made,
They all joined hands and bowed their heads and grateful prayers were prayed.

And the people in the streets below were dancing round and round.
Their guns and swords and uniforms were scattered on the ground.

Last night I had the strangest dream I ever dreamed before.
I dreamed the world had all agreed to put an end to war.