But here's the main difference as I see it:

Barack Obama is a smart man. But he doesn't have that same need to be the smartest guy in the room like Clinton did. He is fundamentally a more secure human being. He's more self aware. He's more grounded. He isn't plagued by the same personal weaknesses of Bill Clinton. Barack won't be tempted by interns or stuff like that because he's just not insecure on that level. That alone gives me a lot of confidence in him because he'll be able to have all these DC insiders from the 90's around, along with some new blood, and he'll be able to make sound judgements without being threatened by people who may know something he doesn't know.

I voted yesterday morning, seeing the faces of many first time voters, young and old. I saw the hope and confidence in their eyes and left the polling place and took a long walk.

I walked past Yankee Stadium, the old one and the new one, and crossed the Macombs Dam bridge into Harlem. I was terrified. I was so worried that the hopes of all those new voters, and the hopes I have for my three year old son, could be dashed at 11pm.

But it didn't happen. Instead, I heard the voices of young people running down Anderson Avenue shouting "Obama" at the top of their lungs. For many of them, it's a sign that their hard work CAN pay off in the future and that no one can take their strong minds and boundless hopes away from them.

I went in to give my son a kiss as he slept, and tears were streaming down my face on to his. I always had hope for his future, but now, it seems, that hope has a little extra something giving it some forward motion that it just didn't have yesterday. We found out my wife was pregnant a few days before Bush won re-election. At the time, it was so bitter, knowing he would be born under that administration. But if not for Kerry's loss, we wouldn't have what we've got today.

Here's to our future and the hard-ass work we have in front of us. No letting up. Yes we did, but now we gotta keep doing. No free passes for Obama like the others gave W. Let's stay on him day and night and make sure he doesn't let us down. I believe he will exceed our hopes. Let's hope he does.

I enjoy Keith's rants, and Rachel's intellect. But generally, I watch them and I don't learn anything. They just reinforce what I already know and believe. Most of us don't need that kind of reinforcement, even when executed well. Not that I want to watch Billo to be challenged or anything. I'd just rather read a book or bang my wife.