Well, I do live in Illinois, and I do work for a newspaper here, and the idea that there was something ineffably special about him has been kicking around this town since the mid-90s. And when he was making his Senate run, which we knew he'd win even before Seven of Nine's husband dropped out, and he made that speech at the Democratic Convention in 04==that was the moment when all my small hairs stood up and I knew all of a sudden what that "specialness" was: that he was going to be the first black President. It was just GOING to happen.

I thought it'd be in 2012 or 2016, though.