And that, my friends, is why Iowa is first!

Last night was the best justification I could imagine for Iowa's first in the nation status. Where else in the country could an improbable candidate like Barack Obama pass successfully through enough skeptical people's "bullshit detectors" to emerge the winner?

Think about it...on paper, Obama is both unlikely and too good to be true. Somebody had to figure out that he's a realist and a progressive, smart and polished but approachable and likable, articulate but not snooty, hopeful but not quixotic.

And he's got very little in common with the majority of the people who caucused for him last night. Many Iowans might have mothers from Kansas, but far fewer have fathers from Kenya. Not many have to explain such an unusual middle name.

But he put in the time, and we gave him a chance...probably first out of curiosity and wonder that such a candidate might even exist.

And then...well, he turned out to be for real. Iowans are good at figuring that out.

I don't think many people could argue convincingly that Obama would have had a shot in a national primary, or even a huge state's primary. Whatever happens after this...if he goes on to win New Hampshire, or pull in new support in South Carolina, it's because we in Iowa checked him out and found him worthy--and (this is really important) not just of the few minutes it takes to vote in an election.

The Obama people at my caucus were delighted to be there for him--nobody complained about the lines, nobody complained about the crowd, nobody complained about having to fill out multiple forms just to be allowed to caucus. They invested time in a candidate they were excited to support.

The slogan of the Iowa Democratic Party caucuses is "First in the Nation, Second to None." We proved that true last night. I got an email from a friend in Georgia, telling me that he is "SOOOOOOO proud of Iowa."

Well done, folks!