This has been such a rollercoaster week. Purple prose aside, I really do feel like I have witnessed something momentous. I’m not an American citizen but I live in this country and, in any case, I think Obama’s victory is something that the whole world has a stake in.

To cut a long story short, I am very, very happy and very, very hopeful.

Here are some photos from the night. I started out at Rockefeller Center before the polls closed in New York and then moved to a friend’s house to watch the results unfold. After the speeches (and much weeping and jumping up and down) we took it to the streets and joined the jubilant crowds at Union Square. I hugged a lot of strangers.

Rockefeller Center lit up and ready for action

Tense and hopeful at our election party

Celebrations at Union Square (I was clearly too excited to hold my camera still!)

Yup!

It ain’t a party without saucepan music!

Happy voting everyone. May the force be with you.

I just saw this on Matt Dentler’s blog and I feel compelled to post it here too because Charles is so wonderful and his words are so stirring.

Remember those Budweiser ads that were funny and then kinda annoying? Well director Charles Stone is back with the original cast to make a political point about the last 8 years and the change we need. True.

Continuing with today’s politically-themed posts, I feel like it would be remiss of me not to post this clip from NBC’s Meet the Press where Colin Powell explains why he is endorsing Obama.

Thanks to Agnes Varnum at Doc It Out for the heads up about this. Frontline’s The Choice 2008 is available to watch free online in its entirety. I’ve only watched part of it so far but it’s definitely vital viewing on the political and personal histories of Obama and McCain and I’m looking forward to watching the rest when I can give it my full attention (although giving ANYTHING my full attention at the moment is proving tricky).

Also, women of the world I do salute you but make sure you vote. Emily Wilding Davison threw herself in front of the King’s horse in the UK for the right to vote. All we have to do is go to the polling station.