YES WE CAN

In the fall of 2007, Google hosted a number of presidential candidates, whose talks can still be seen on YouTube. I attended the talks by Bill Richardson, John Edwards, and John McCain. (That's me asking a public health question somewhere near the end of Edwards's visit.) I should have attended Hillary Clinton's. You couldn't get into Barack Obama's; there was a line halfway around the Googleplex of people who wanted to get in.

On the way back to my office after one of these talks, I overheard the following comment:

As a young conservative, I have to say that these liberals don't understand that Americans are not ready to elect a woman or black man to the presidency.

I glanced at the speaker and said nothing, but I was thinking "We'll see about that, won't we."

We have seen, and perhaps the young conservative, who must feel mighty outnumbered at this liberal company, is reconsidering his statement.