Hillary Clinton said it best when she summed up the Super Tuesday results. "Tonight was about the people who write America's story, but seldom make the headlines." It wasn't about the biggest wallet or the flashiest personality. It was a simple case of Americans turning out in huge numbers to cast a vote for change. Considering the $5.2 million Utahns gave to the now-defunct campaign of Mitt Romney, the $3 million the State of Utah devoted to take part in the presidential primary was a bargain. No longer were Utahns, particularly Democratic Utahns, shut out of the presidential process. Utahns were energized by the chance as evidenced by the long lines at the polling places.

Obviously, the favorite son status of Mitt increased the interest. But one cannot diminish the amazing support for Barack Obama, who scored not only with Democrats but with many men and women who normally lean Republican.

CNN's John King joked that Super Tuesday was "the only night you could hear the words Utah Democrat and competitive in the same sentence." Given the animosity many Utahns feel towards John McCain, come November the reddest state in the nation could be a case of the blues.

Nationally it was refreshing to see the nation turn its back on partisan polarization and reject the candidate endorsed by the likes of Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh. We have had enough divisiveness in the past eight years. Mitt Romney further alienated himself from mainstream voters when he recently implied that a vote for a Democrat was a vote for terrorism.

Obama is speaking to Americans who are tired of scare tactics, to voters who are ready to support optimism instead of doomsaying, and to those who are ready to embrace the "yes, we can" instead of accepting business as usual.

As Bob Dylan sang, "The times they are a-changin'." And last week, it was exciting to be part of the change.





Raised in Davis County, Brandvold is employed in the financial industry -- and proud to be a Utah Democrat.