For a number of reasons, I’m really happy about Barack Obama winning last night. Not the least of which, of course, is the fact that Sarah Palin will NOT be our next vice president. The fact that a super-religious, anti-choice, let’s-do-the-prayer-in-school-number-all-over-again extremist is not a heartbeat away from the highest office in the US makes me sleep better at night.

I also like Obama’s vision. I know that he’s been criticized - and I’ll admit that I’ve been one to judge - for his fairy tale vision of the future, but the truth is that, for just one minute, I want to hope for something better.

I want to think that the US can come back from its division and unite and be something better and greater than the sum of its parts.

… Did I mention that Sarah Palin won’t be VP?