A River of Tears

The significance of this moment in American history cannot be overstated. Arranged below area series of video clips of commentators, politicians, statesmen and ordinary people, weeping for joy at the proclamation that Barack Obama had won the presidency of the United States of America. A theme that reappears when African Americans recount the significance of this moment is the joy of being able to look their young children in the eye and, for the first time, be able to honestly tell them that as American citizens, they can be anything they want, even President of the United States of America, as long as they set their mind to it and work hard enough for it.

(Warning: you're going to want to get out a hankie for these)


Sherri Shephard on The View:


Colin Powell tears up:


Jesse Jackson. He's always been one of America's most inspiring public speakers, but the tears he sheds in this video possess a transcendent eloquence that soars beyond even his best oratory:


A Youtube titled "tears for Obama"


This next one is a bit different. It's Comedy Central's Colbert/Stewart coverage of the election. Colbert, of course, each night on his show assumes the persona of a right-wing blowhard culture-warrior in the mode of Bill O'Reilly. Watch then, as John Stewart announces the election of Barack Obama. Colbert tries to stay in character, but keeps taking off his glasses to dry his eyes. It's quite remarkable:



Here's what Huffingtonpost commenter huffyobsessed had to say about the above clip:

"I was in the audience at the show, and trust me, it was real. after the show went off air, both john and stephen went to their wives in the audiences and had very emotional hugs and kisses with their wives. it was very moving and the audience was going wild."

Here's a bit more from the AP:

But comedy eventually subsided to the magnitude of the election results. After the broadcast - held in front of a raucous and partisan crowd - the cast exchanged hugs and Colbert and Stewart both went to the audience to embrace their wives.

In a brief interview after the broadcast backstage, Colbert was still rattled.

"I've never had this feeling before, which is: Things went well on Election Night," said Colbert, whose political views are not his character's. "I'm a little stunned. I don't know what to do with my happiness. I'm still afraid someone's going to take it away."

For many of us Stewart and Colbert at times seemed like the only island of sanity in the 8 year sea of madness that was the Bush administration. They helped us make it through. Their tears are our tears, their joy is our joy.