So Obama has won Iowa.

Hooray.

No, seriously, hooray!

I guess it wasn’t that shocking, really. I mean, the last few weeks showed him more or less on the top, but nobody put him at 38% over 30 for the other two. So I guess that was shocking, in the mildest sense of the word. But, at the same time, it’s a little bit shocking. There’s a sense, I think, that people are sort of latently racist, that a black candidate can’t win, but I think that feeling has to subside after a substantial win in a substantially white state. I’m really excited. I don’t like to be, because I don’t want to have to fall that hard if whatshername ends up in the real election and I have to vote for a third party again. Nonetheless, I think about the possibility of watching him give his inaugural address, and I get excited. I feel like my entire life I’ve watched better suited candidates give concession speeches, or just not run. But this could really be something to make Americans proud, to dispel the myth that we’re a country of illiterates. So that’s exciting.

What else is exciting? A bit. Even the other race was sort of heartening, seeing Romney not win. Even though Huckabee is probably the worst sorta mainstream Republican candidate we’ve ever seen, it seems like a good stroke against MR. Despite his fourth place finish, behind jackass-in-tortoise-clothing Thompson, McCain surely benefits from Romney’s loss. My biggest hope is that Obama continues his victories in New Hampshire, but I’d almost trade that for a McCain win there. A McCain-Obama general election would be the most inspiring thing I’ve seen in my life. To actually choose between two candidates with unquestioned integrity and skill would make me so proud to be an American. That sounds corny, to talk about being proud to be an American, but it’s the truth. I would be proud, and I would be so happy to be proud. On 30 Rock this season, or maybe last season, Tina Fey makes a joke about telling people she voted for Obama when she really voted for McCain. If that joke can become a real decision, it’s a gigantic leap forward for all of us.

There’s still a long way to go, and I’m not entirely confident that NH residents know their right from left, nor from wrong, nor from peanut butter. But hopefully they will make the right choices, and hopefully the rest of the country will, too. To be able to choose people based on their ideas and not worry about which one is less terrible is so fantastic. Man… This could be a good time. Of course, we could still have a Clinton/Romney face off, in which case my vote likely goes to that crazy lady from Georgia or wherever with the Green Party. At least it wouldn’t be the first time I voted for a crazy green.

Also, I had a great holiday season, and tomorrowish I’ll let you in on some New Years Resolutions.