Yes We Can.

At approximately 5:00pm, the air still hung. The Obama campaign called the field organizers in the Western Slope of Colorado and told them to drop everything and go knock on doors. Don't use walk lists, turf cuts, just get out and knock on every door on a street and ask people of they've voted. Despite internal numbers that were probably looking good, the campaign did not want the celebration to start early, but rather was professing a sense of urgency.

So we walked doors, hitting two apartment building and a few streets with Matt and Mary. Poll reports were still coming in as polls in East started to close. From the inside, the message from the Obama campaign was, "Hold Tight. It's going to be close."

And yet, as the numbers started to come in over CNN, you could sense it. First Pennsylvania was projected for Obama, then Ohio. The formula for McCain to come back and win became increasingly grim. The energy with the campaign folks started to rise...though Colorado's numbers were still unknown.

In the painfully slow wait for returns, we packed the Arts Center staging location, much of it ending up in our van (paper to be destroyed, office supplies to be sorted), and headed to Carvers.

The energy and excitement was growing. Carvers was packed, cheering, hooting and hollering at two TV screens displaying that red and blue map. As states changed blue, cheers would erupt, as if the hometown team had just scored in the Superbowl.

And then, CNN put up the screen.



And then the cheers came, some tears streamed, and hope returned.

And then the celebration. The Abbey Theater opened it's doors for the La Plata Democratic Party to watch Obama's speech.



It was electric. I have never witnessed the level of happiness and pride in my life. It was a incredible and historic night. Wow.