4:51am

OK, the election was called for Obama about 3 hours ago, yet I'm still awake.  Like Matt, I too am obsessed with the election and will probably be reading blogs and news articles for at least a week to come about the fall out.

But even more than the miraculousness of the presidential outcome, the imminent banning of gay marriage in California is on my mind.  Many of my friends, via Facebook of course, are making clear the depression they feel about this loss, and it's easy to wallow after setback after setback.  To many of us, a vote against gay marriage is a vote against compassion, and love, and just seems mean.

That being said, I can't help but be hopeful, with a president-elect who, more than any other in our history, believes in the power of diversity.  Obama reminded us again tonight that the road ahead is one of struggle, and that we as a nation must continue to fight to perfect our Union.  

Gavin Newsom is right, gay marriage is here to stay.  It won't be legal tomorrow in his state, but time marches on, and the fight continues.  I'm just lucky to have the time and the patience to keep fighting the good fight. 

We may have lost gay marriage in California, but we've won something much, much greater.

On another optomistic note: Now almost a day later, a lot of people in my life are really sad about prop 8.  They're showing it with their away messages, their statuses, and all the ways we communicate our opinions in this web 2.0 world.  I can only be grateful to see how much gay rights mean to the people that I care about--gay, straight, young, old, and of many backgrounds.