Signed, sealed, delivered...

After five days, I'm still in shock about the results from the elections. New Mexico now has an all-Democratic delegation in Congress for the first time. Ever. Obama won the state by 15%, almost 120,000 votes. The last two presidential elections were decided by fewer than 400 and 6,000 votes, respectively. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected such results.

Obama's acceptance speech was absolutely inspiring, and I have to give McCain credit, too, for his address. I felt proud to be part of this country, and, for the first time in many years, I am hopeful for the future. We now have leadership that recognizes that the country needs to come together to be able to make effective change.

To be honest, I initially wasn't all that thrilled with Obama's campaign and still take issue with certain positions he's taken. However, what led me to support him is what I saw at his rallies. People were not only excited, they were happy. Waiting hours for Obama to arrive didn't make people agitated or angry. Once Obama began to speak he captivated the audience. Here was an articulate, educated man who was asking to serve as our next president.

There was a palpable energy in the air at rallies, marches and volunteer offices. His campaign motivated people who had never been politically active to become involved. I remember four years ago a feeling of resignation, but this year was completely different. This election had brought people together, at least in my little part of the world. Here’s an excerpt from Obama’s rally in the 505 two weeks ago as a sample.

Although the election is over, our work isn’t done. We must keep the momentum in order to make real change. We have the proof that our efforts make a difference; now we need to remain involved to continue what has just begun.

As Obama concluded in his speech last Tuesday, "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there."

¡Sí, se puede!