Obama rally.

Wow. How to begin to explain the scene last night. This is a political candidate with a crowd larger than a rock concert. And I had the sense the crowd was serious--college students, parents with small children, seniors--all wanting to see history in the making. Will they vote? They stood in line for 6 hours, voting is easy compared to that.

It's encouraging but also baffling. His message certainly appeals to me--as did his admonition to the crowd last night that we all have a responsibility not just to our selves but to the world around us. But what exactly is it that's fueling the newer, younger voters? Or re-energizing the older, cynical ones? Does Obama speak their language, share their world views, touch something inside them that a Kerry or a pre-Emmy Gore never could?

I'd like to think that this could be a turning point in American politics. I'd like to hope that this level of optimism and commitment isn't dependent on just one man.