I didn't get into the rally at the Xcel Energy Center last night in St. Paul.  Didn't even get close.  The line snaked through downtown St. Paul for what looked like miles.  We finally decided to drop out of the line and follow it to the auditorium just to see what we'd been up against.  Insurmountable odds would be an accurate description.  A capacity crowd of nearly 20,000 people listened to Obama from inside the auditorium.  Another 15,000 stood outside and listened.  Once we'd established that there was no way we were going to get in, we opted for slices and beers at Cossetta, and then went to a friend's place to watch things on TV.

While we stood in line, I struck up a conversation with an African-American family that was ahead of us.  It was a guy, his wife, and his son and daughter.  The son looked to be about 7 or 8, and the daughter was a little younger.  As I spoke with their father, he stood with one hand on the shoulder of each of his kids.  They were all dressed up, and very excited to be there.  I asked him: "Are you excited?"  He said, "Oh, yeah.  Unbelievable.  I've never seen anything like this."  I told him that I'd seen Obama in Portland and that it was an amazing scene there too.  He asked me if I'd been an Obama supporter for long.  I said, "Practically since I saw him at the 2004 convention.  I've never been so excited about a candidate in my entire life."  He said, "Me too."  Then he patted his kids on the shoulders and said, "I'm so happy for them.  Unlike me and their Mom, they'll never need to wonder if something like this is possible."

This is about so much more than an election.