A small post-election footnote compliments of my sister:

My parents are 87 and 90 years old. Both 1st-generation children of Catholic immigrants from the Azores and from County Laois. Mom, one of 2 surviving sibs (out of 14) has difficulty remembering if you called 10 minutes ago; Dad's memory is pretty good but his vision is pretty shot, he is seriously aphasic and he has been in and out of the hospital this past year.

While he could no longer see Tim Russert, he was a loyal listener of Meet the Press and Tim's death was a serious blow.

Dad's back in the hospital right now, but he managed to get out for a few days around election day and both Mom and Dad got a ride to the polls in the assisted living center's van.

"The Captain" has seen a lot of this world but remained a real "townie" at the core. I think, though, that the ghost of Tip O'Neill was looking down on these two Reagan Democrats.

They both voted for Obama.

This really *is* huge. Transcendent.