President Elect Barack Obama!

So election season is finally over and I could not be happier.  The past few months have been so stressful because I believe in Obama so much and really think that he will help our country.  He isn't going to fix everything because there is a lot to be done, but I think he will be able to inspire so many people to go out and help one another.  

Election day was definitely one of the most stressful days ever!  Student for Barack Obama made their presence known and we definitely tried to make sure that everyone exercised their right to vote!  I don't care who people vote for, as long as they vote because they do have a voice and every vote counts!  As the results started coming in, I was nervous.  Even though I knew Obama couldn't get every state, I was nervous whenever he lost a state.  But then, more and more blue states started coming up on the tv.  When I saw that Pennsylvania and Ohio went blue, I knew that we were close, but I wasn't celebrating yet.  Every few minutes, my mom and I would call each other, excited...yet nervous.  At 9:00, the west coast results came in and I lost it.  I started screaming into the phone, accidently hung up on my mom, and then literally fell to the floor crying tears of joy, relief, and hope.  At that moment, I was so proud of all the hardwork the campaign did here at UNC and around the country.  I felt like I had made a difference.  Because of the people I spoke to, the calls I made, and the doors I knocked on, I made a difference in the election!  That, I think, is the power of Obama.  He makes you feel like you matter and that he cares about every single one of us and wants to make our lives the best that they can be.  I also feel like we now have respect around the world and we have definitely shown the world what an amazing country we are, electing an African-American to the presidency!

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or not, you wistnessed history being made.  I saw a great quote today that said: "Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King Jr. could stand.  MLK stood so Barack Obama could run.  What will Barack Obama do for this generation?"  As I spoke to a guy from France, he told me that if Obama was elected, it would send a message to the world, and it has!  Worldwide, Obama is being welcomed with open arms and I wish more people would at least give him a chance.  I know not everyone agrees with what he stands for, but at least give him the opportunity to help our country.  You might not believe me, but I would have supported John McCain if he had become president because we all need to stand behind our president and fix this country!  I would have been upset, but I would have given him a chance to show me what he can do.  I am not asking you to like Obama, but I am asking you to support the next president of the United States because he supports you.  Like he said last night, "I hear your voices" and he will be your president too!  There are not blue states and red states, but there is the United States of America.  Our country needs us to come together, put aside our differences and solve our problems together.  Please, just give him a chance.  Don't knock it til you've tried it!