A great night for America

When it comes to politics, I can be quite cynical. But Thursday night, I got a reminder that politics still has profoundly good things to offer, still has moments that are deeply moving, still has the capacity to transform an entire nation of people for the better.

I saw Barack Obama become the first black man ever to become a major party's presidential nominee Thursday night, fewer than 50 years after he wouldn't even have been allowed to register to vote or enter a restaurant through the front door in many corners of the country. I witnessed Obama receiving a deafening ovation from a packed-out stadium filled with cheering people of all races and ages. And then I heard Obama lay out the substance of his vision for an America where everyone has a fair chance to get ahead, an America where our fearless freedom and peaceful prosperity make us unquestioned moral leaders in the world, an America where absolutely anything is possible through hard work.

I teared up a little by the end, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Aug. 28, 2008, was a proud moment in our nation's history. Here's hoping that Nov. 4, 2008, will be even prouder.