I didn’t even have time to notice how beautiful the light fixtures in the Wyndham Phoenix’s ballroom were.

I dashed up the escalators after hearing a large roar from the crowded lobby behind me and entered the expansive room. On the opposite side of the entrance, two very large screens displaying CNN’s election coverage played bookends to the stage that Arizona’s Democratic Party nominees and officials would later speak from. The platform was guarded by blue and silver balloon pillars, which were topped by what looked like sea anemones. As I walked through the doors, the crowd was making a mad dash from their tables to the front, so I followed.

I caught my first glimpse of the screen when it read something like “00:08.” So that’s why they are cheering more than usual.

As the countdown got to five, the roar grew louder. The hustle toward the stage reminded me of avid fans doing the same when a band returns for an encore.

Two … one … zero.

Sen. Barack Obama is the next president of the United States of America.

I spent a few minutes on one of the risers that many TV networks had their cameras set up on. I took a look around. Nearly everyone in the room had a big smile on their faces.

It’s over. Finally. The crowd was one.

When Sen. John McCain began his concession speech, a strange emotion came over me.

I felt dirty, maybe even a little guilty. All this vitriol we’ve been spewing out, eating up and regurgitating over again for the past two years … none of it means anything anymore.

A month from now, very few people outside the state of Alaska will care about Sarah Palin. Four years from now, our best memory of her will be Tina Fey’s impressions. But she will remember the accusing tone with which many media outlets spoke of her, forgetting that she, too, is a human being that goes home to her family at the end of the day.

During the speech, the camera panned over to Palin, her husband Todd at her side. She was crying, but these tears were nothing like Rev. Jesse Jackson’s; they were of pure pain and disappointment. She was earnestly trying to smile, but only barely could.

Yes, she is a politician inexperienced on the national level, but this woman will have to live with the severe blows her ego has recently taken. Being torn down by the American media like she has would be difficult for most human beings to withstand.

President-elect Barack Obama, on the other hand, gave yet another demonstration of his ability to mobilize minds with a magnificent acceptance speech.

The Wyndham ballroom was abuzz. Early in the speech, the crowd was so eager to express their excitement; a hum of discussion started up, and then quickly hushed as they remembered that they gathered to see this exact speech with these exact people.

I felt privileged to watch that speech in a group full of people who fully appreciated the moment.

The energy was infectious. It’s good to see a group of people unite over something they love rather than something they hate. Obama’s speech rang with the same sentiments. His election brings the hope of togetherness.

With his message of unity, he delivered his most forceful language, saying to those dividers, “We will defeat you.”
Even his detractors should be appreciative.

Ryan can be reached by e-mail at rponeal@gmail.com.