We shed a lot of joyful tears Tuesday night

I had more than a few moments of tears Tuesday night. It started with John McCain's concession speech, when I shed a few tears for him, but most of all , for what we'd done that night, for what our beleagured party had finally marshalled together, and, most of all, for what this meant for all of us--and in particular, those who are not white, not male, not inside, and not political (until this year).

I was a delegate for Jesse Jackson in 1988. I went from my local caucus to the County Convention, and moved ahead to the State Convention, where our campaign finally collapsed. For a brief moment in the 1988 election, Jesse Jackson was the frontrunner. But, alas, it was not to be.



It was moving to watch Jesse in Grant Park Tuesday night. . .crying copious tears. . .tears I didn't even know a veteran hardballer like the Rev. Jesse Jackson was capable of shedding. Unlike some of the national conservative pundits--who claimed Jesse's tears were because someone finally made the grade and it wasn't him--I knew Jesse Jackson cried because at long last, a brother made the grade, and was headed to the White House in 75 days. God bless America. Jesse, Barack may have gotten there at long last, but you helped lay the asphalt down on the road to the White House.

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