Yes, he did.

This morning, the air seemed a bit more crisp and clean, the sky a little bluer, my mind a touch less cloudy.

As we listened to McCain talk about great presidents during his concession speech, Steph and I realized that George W. Bush will go down as one of the most influential presidents of our time.  What single man has affected the course of our country more?  The Bush administration has done more to influence our economy,  ideological divisions in our country, our constitutional freedoms, and most importantly our standing in the world, than any administration in my lifetime, certainly.  It goes without saying that this influence has not been positive, and repairing the damage is no easy task.

The spontaneous elation across the country is just something I've never seen.  Sometimes politics seems like sports to me-- did your team win?  Are they coming on strong at the finish?  Last night was like my hometown team won the World Series, except that it's not just me-- it's thousands of hometowns across the country.

(Check out Shannon and Carrie's awesome spontaneous communal celebration in Ann Arbor here.)

Obama's acceptance speech contained no mention of fear, terror, or hate.  It was unifying and inspirational.

For the first time in years, I feel hope.