Iowa

Barack Obama has won the Democratic Iowa caucus, and no matter what happens after this, I am here to say how amazed, stunned and utterly thrilled and grateful I am to have lived to see a black man (with his black wife and black children) on a platform declaring victory in a run-up to a U.S. presidential election.

People say nothing changes, but that's not true. When you have a black man and a white woman both vying for the office of president, both having a legitimate shot at getting elected, a lot has changed, and for the better. We have a long way to go, but as the old Virginia Slims ads used to say, we've come a long way, baby. A long, long way.

Update on The Big Storm: Had some decent rain this afternoon, and it's sprinkling right now (9:15pm), but so far no sign of the monster winds that have been forecast. I expect to be disappointed in my hopes for a big one, though later tonight and tomorrow could bring some good stuff.