... And I Approve of This Message

[NanceGreggs]

I try to be careful in pointing out that whatever views, comments, or opinions I post here are mine alone – I don’t deign to speak for anyone other than myself.

However, tonight I will go out on a limb – one that I am confident is safe and secure – and say that in posting the following, I am sure beyond all reasonable doubt that I am speaking for the vast majority of DUers – and Democrats everywhere:

Thanks to all of you who have contributed your time and efforts to the Obama campaign, and to getting the vote out.

Thanks to all of you who have phone-banked, gone door-to-door, and organized your communities, neighbors and friends to ensure a big turnout on Tuesday.

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to talk to a reluctant voter, and have had the patience to explain why this election matters, and why their vote counts.

Thanks to all of you who have contributed financially to Democratic candidates, especially those who gave more than they could reasonably afford – because they realized the importance of doing so.

Thanks to all of you who spread the message of hope and change at the water-cooler in the office, on the convenience store check-out line, in the parking lot at the local bowl-o-rama – and wherever and whenever you felt you could do some good.

Thanks to all of you who wrote LTTEs to newspapers, who emailed your local news networks and called them on their mis-information, who phoned and faxed the MSM and gave them a dose of your vitriol when they got the facts wrong in a transparent effort to get their bias extremely right.

Thanks to all of you who volunteered to drive a neighbor to the polls so they could cast their vote, and all of you who didn’t bother to ask who they might vote for – because voting was the important part.

Thanks to all of you who demonstrated the audacity of hope by displaying yard signs in neighborhoods you knew they’d be unwelcome, by affixing bumper-stickers to cars in counties you knew they’d be unacceptable, by wearing T-shirts and buttons in places you knew they’d garner more grief than gratitude.

Thanks to all of you who posted your positive messages here – anecdotes about the long-time Republican voter who is voting for Obama, stories about the first-time voter who has been moved to get involved after years of non-participation in the process; inspiring posts about the grand-daughter of slaves voting to put a black man into the Oval Office and what this election means to her.

Thanks to all of you who were willing to risk the loss of family relationships and long-time friendships because it was more important to speak UP for what you believe in than be spoken DOWN-to by people armed with nothing more than indefensible RW talking points and unconscionable lies.

And most especially, thanks to all of you whose first choice was not Obama, but who rallied behind him with unprecedented enthusiasm once it was clear he was our nominee.

We are about to win this thing – and win it BIG. But we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you.

YOU know who you are – and all of us are in your debt. YOU made this happen – YOU are the unsung heroes who have saved our democracy.

So give yourselves a big pat on the back – our imminent victory belongs to YOU, and we won’t forget that.

And on a purely personal note, I am incredibly proud to be in your company - no, really, incredibly, beyond words, can't-express-my-gratitude-enough proud to know you all.

Thanks.