Yesterday was a long day...

Some smart-aleck will point out that it was 24 hours long and no different than any other day, but it was a lot longer than that… Yesterday started in Wisconsin two weeks ago and stretched all the way through to right now, Wednesday, March 5th where, as of 11:45 am EST, there are still votes being counted in Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Texas. Winners have been declared, momentum has been predicted, but no one can accurately say what has changed in terms of the one thing that is going to determine the next Democratic nominee for the position of President of the United States of America: The delegate count. I'm reading a lot of anguished, conflicted messages on the internet right now, and the only thing that has changed since last night is that they aren't just coming from Clinton Campaign staffers anymore. So I say this to all of my fellow Obama Supporters out there:

Don't Panic.

Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and count to ten. Have a cup of tea. Meditate. Pray. Stretch. Take a stroll around the block. Other than having a cigarette or mixing yourself a stiff drink, do whatever you would normally do to clear your head and center yourself. But don't panic.

There are those of you who are saying "Barack blew it by not going negative." Remember what drew you to Senator Obama in the first place. You didn't want the politics of yesterday. You didn't want slander and slime. You rejected dirty tricks and the "same old, same old." You found a candidate who is different. You found a candidate who inspired you and those around you to believe in your own potential. Don't use this moment of manufactured crisis to betray your candidate or the ideals you sought in him and in yourself. Barack Obama's strength is that he represents the transformational rather than the transitional. Allow him to continue to represent that distinction. Encourage him to do it. Support him by doing it yourself. Don't get so caught up in wringing your hands over a delegate lead that has been growing since Iowa, a delegate lead that Senator Obama has NEVER RELINQUISHED, and lose sight of what made you believe in him in the first place. If you are tired of the politics of yesterday, don't panic, and certainly don't resort to it yourself. Do something about it.

There are those of you who believe that last night's results mean that all hope of Hillary Clinton withdrawing from the race is now dashed. I've got news for you: Hillary Clinton was never going to drop out of the race. She was going to campaign all the way to Denver, no matter what the cost. And can you blame her? She has wanted to be the President for probably as long as she can remember. This is her chance. She didn't want to challenge George W. Bush in 2004. The risk was too great. She doesn't want to wait until 2012. By then, it may well be too late. What could Howard Dean or Al Gore or anyone say or do or offer you to make you surrender your life-long dream? Senator Clinton believes that she is the best choice to be the next President. She believes that she is the ONLY choice. She wants it and she won't let anyone stand in her way. Not Barack Obama. Not the voters in any of the states that she hasn't won. Not the Democratic Party. Not the national party rules which stripped Michigan and Florida of their delegates. Not the party rules in states like Iowa, Nevada, and Texas which call for caucuses that Senator Clinton no longer believes serve her interests. She wants to win. She wants to win on her own terms, at any cost. And she doesn't care who gets knocked down along the way. I am proud to see Barack Obama stand in firm and resounding contrast to that kind of ambition and greed. I believe he stands up FOR us and that he stands up WITH us. I am not afraid to see him take that contrast to Pennsylvania, to Michigan, to Florida, and every other state in the Union, Puerto Rico, Guam, the E.U., the U.N. and everywhere else. I believe in him because I know he believes in us and our power to bring about the changes we desire in government and in politics. If you still believe that too, then don't panic.

There are those of you who are worried that intra-party infighting will destroy the eventual nominee and pave the way to the White House for John McCain. Please don't ever say that out loud. Our candidate is not the candidate of desperation and fear. He is the candidate of unification and hope! Who is John McCain? He is an American hero who has served his country in war and in peace. He is an experienced, seasoned leader. He is the Republican nominee for the Presidency. He is also a man riding around on a bus full of lobbyists while calling it the Straight Talk Express. He is one of the Keating 5 (and that's not an R&B group from Gary, Indiana). He is the man who supported George Bush's Iraq war when our focus should have been on Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. He is the man who, when you and your countrymen overwhelmingly said "Enough of this fiasco! Bring our troops home!" stood with President Bush in extending tours of duty while shortening leave, in destroying the VA and neglecting our troops, and in sending more of our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, into harm's way. He supported the so-called "Surge" and he supports the Administration that lies about the casualty counts and the potential for political reconciliation in Iraq in order to justify putting more of our war fighters and peace makers in harm's way. If you still believe that American priorities are best served defending American interests, engaging America's allies, confronting America's enemies with diplomacy and ideas before resorting to bullets and bombs, don't panic. Speak up!

John McCain is a man of so little principal and conviction that, far from denouncing and rejecting the support of bigoted hate mongers, he cultivates and seeks their endorsements. The so-called GOP Maverick has been in lock-step with the Bush Administration, betraying his own stated ideals too many times to list. On this very day, he will be breaking bread with a man who sought to destroy him in 2000. On this very day, he'll be having lunch with George W. Bush before accepting his endorsement in the Rose Garden. Anyone who is willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with George W. Bush is not fit to lead this country. Remember that when you claim to support Barack Obama and then express fears that so many smears and lies about him will somehow make him less of a leader than John McCain in the eyes of your country. Don't betray what you believe in. And don't panic. Stand up for Barack Obama.

Yesterday was a long day, but it will be nothing compared to the long days after the people of Wyoming and Mississippi have voted. I'll bet Hillary's inner circle is brushing off the confetti right now and looking for more gunk from the kitchen sink. The last two weeks will be nothing compared to the long days between now and the Pennsylvania Primary in April. Senator Clinton's supporters realize that they can't use those long days to build Hillary up, so they are going to try to use them to tear Barack down. That's seven weeks of long days, and a sad choice... But you have a choice too: You can view those long days as a curse or you can see them as a blessing. Just don't panic.

You know the stakes. You know the consequences of four more years of Bush rule; you know that a McCain administration will be just that. You also know that Senator Clinton won't be able to talk about her experience as First Lady when she's competing against someone who was a sitting Senator during her husband's administration. You know she won't be able to talk about changing course in Iraq in a general election when she hasn't stood up to explain why she authorized the decision to go to Iraq in the first place. You know that Senator Clinton won't be able to confront John McCain on his ties to lobbyists and special interests because she's taken more money from them during this election cycle than he has. You also know that she won't be nearly as willing to "throw everything but the kitchen sink" at John McCain or pretend she thinks he might possibly be a Muslim in the general election. The bonds of friendship between Senator Clinton and Senator McCain are too strong, as Bill noted a few weeks ago. It's a shame she doesn't feel as warmly about Barack Obama, but so be it. Don't panic. It won't help you think clearly.

Take one last look back at the last two weeks and ask yourself: Did I call undecided voters? Did I spread the word? Did I educate myself on what Barack Obama stands for and the many things he has accomplished in Illinois and in Washington? Did I do everything I possibly could to support my candidate? I know I didn't. I could've done more. But we can't continue to dwell on those long days behind us when we have long days ahead of us. Those long days will be long days for the Clinton Campaign as well. They will be fundraising. They will be organizing. They will be regrouping. People are suddenly acting as though all is lost, but so much hangs in the balance. So you have to decide, as one individual, reading this right now, whether you want to use those long days to mourn your perception of what has been lost, or to use those days to capitalize on all that is left to gain. You also know that every dollar you give or every phone call or email you send in support of Barack Obama is another step closer to America having the leadership we want, need and deserve. If you still believe in Barack Obama and all that his candidacy represents in this country and in the world, don't panic.

Get to work!