This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your 15 minutes are up

Did you watch the debate last night?

Did you see it?

Did it finally sink in with you that either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the United States?

Did it hit you that the next president will begin pulling our troops out of Iraq?

Will appoint Supreme Court Justices who don't take the constitution to be silly-putty?

Will see science as something to be supported not subverted?

Will finally try and do something to fix the health care mess?

We're going to have a president who can ride a Sedgway without falling off, can string together more than one sentence without coming across as a total idiot and won't be challenged by the push/ pull factor when opening a door.

We're going to have a president who, by the very act of their swearing in, will send the message to the world that when America talks about things like opportunity and equality it's more than just talk.

We're going to have a President who, when they get a briefing saying "Bin Laden determined to attack in the United States," will do something about it.

Cynic all you want. Lord knows I've done my own share of that. You wouldn't have to read far through these pages to find instances of me tearing into both Obama and Clinton. They are politicians after all.

But when I watched that debate last night I couldn't help but see IT. It was standing squarely in the middle of the stage behind Obama and Clinton and it was impossible to miss.

It was hope.