Naimul

Today at 12 PM ET President-Elect Barack Obama officially became President Barack Obama. This means a lot to me--its been a long time coming. I remember the first time I heard about Mr. Obama, it was in the weeks leading up to the Democratic Convention. I read an article about the Purple Party--how Barack Obama could potentially unite two opposing parties in a way this country hasn't seen since Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated and declared "We are all Republicans, We are all Federalists." From that point on I would drop his name in conversations and hear skepticism about his potential. The thought died down until he announced his run for President on the steps of the Illinois capital.

I was reminded that no other candidate had made me smile like Obama before the election season started. Iowa was an awesome rush because the long shot became a possibility. On Super Tuesday my roommates and I held a fundraiser in conjunction with a policy think tank in Chapel Hill and I sang a song about Obama to a rowdy group of cheering supporters. I remember watching every debate, despite the interference with my studies. I remember waiting in line on election day only to see my new state of Kentucky go red as expected. But the end of the night wasn't stressed, it wasn't nervous, it was hopeful. And the raucous celebration that followed shook my building. People were joyful.

Under Obama, we are a new nation; his speech today was a call to reification, a commandment to start fresh under one flag, together. In the tag cloud above you can see the words most commonly used in his speech. Nation stands out above all others. Preserving this nation will ensure our future and rebuilding this nation will bring us to new unforeseen glory. My prognostications are really just guesses and hopes, but they're what I'm going to cling to in the coming years. Wondering and hoping. How audacious of me.

Happy Inauguration Day!