Letter to my mom

I was driving my friends Olentangy John and his girlfriend Liz back to their place in Bedford-Stuyvesant on the night of the New Hampshire primary last week. We'd been at an open mic at the Lucky Cat in Williamsburg. About half way to their place Obama took the mic to give his concession speech. By the time we pulled up outside the apartment his speech was only half way through, so I cut the engine and we sat there until he ended.

John and Liz are both about twenty three, from Ohio. He plays banjo and mandolin and guitar, writes songs and plays in a band with the guys I work with in Tribeca. At one point during the speech, as Liz tells me they easily do, John's eyes teared up. We were all fired up when the speech ended, talking about "yes we can."

At one point I thought I'd vote for Dennis Kucinich but then two things happened. First, he said that down the line he'll be supporting Barack. For many years Kucinich has consistently been forthright in his articulation of my beliefs and concerns. Then, in his concession of the New Hampshire primary to Clinton the other day, Obama's warmth and optimism, his determination to confront a scroll of challenges and to represent the nation thoughtfully had my blood pumping and my back straight. In my life time only his speech at the 2004 democratic convention has been as moving.