Like a lot of my friends and colleagues, I woke up this morning feeling like I’m in a new America. After suffering the incompetence of a guy I’d wanna have a beer with, I look forward to working with a man who I want to follow into the future.

I voted for Barack Obama not because I believe he can change America, but because I believe he can inspire me to change America. I believe that his election signals a change in the American outlook. The people of this nation are ready to do what’s necessary to make America great again, and they know it will not be easy.

I must mention, of course, that I am proud to have voted for our first non-white president. I’ve touched on this a few times in Twitter and other conversations, but some people just don’t get it. More than one person has heard me comment about our first black president and immediately assumes that’s why I voted for Barack Obama. Do these people think I voted for Al Sharpton in 2004? Are they really that naive?

Let me be clear: I voted for the man I thought best suited for the office, but I am also capable of grasping the magnitude of what we have just done. To assume that I voted only for a black man or only for a Democrat is to suffer from a very narrow mind. I would hope that my readers/followers/subscribers/fans have a larger grasp than that.

So now it is November 5, 2008. The first day of the struggle to pull my country out of the hole. Where do I begin? I believe that our president-elect, Barack Obama, will have the right answer.