Tuesday, January 20, 2008, 2:22 AM
Washington, DC - Less than ten hours...
The miraculous thing that is easy to overlook about Obama is that the president elect (say it again, it gives me shivers!) was not a default choice. That is: we are not just happy that the Bush white house is gone - though we are - but we are happy with who we got instead.
Washington is stuffed. Friends can no longer get down here because the transportation is clogged to capacity. Tomorrow some many millions of us will march to the mall and listen to a speech that can hardly help but inspire us.
But how much? I mean, really, how much? We are facing a war without a clear purpose or end; the greatest economic catastrophe since the depression; renewed conflict in Gaza with the same hatreds but a limited sympathy with our traditional ally; and crises of poverty or genocide in tens of countries around the world.
So good luck speechwriters.
Ticket trading has reached an absurd point and if you have an extra good one you could probably dine out for a week on it. We have some thirteen people sleeping on the floors, couches, and footstools of our apartment and we have planned to arrive half an hour before the security checkpoints open at 8:30, which should make us among the last people who will arrive at the mall with the hope of actually getting in.
It's late and I have to be up in a few hours. Less than ten hours...