the first ever rachel maddow show was less than two months before the biggest and most presidential news election in modern memory. we launched in september 2008 which is launched ugt right into the whirlwind fight between barack obama and senator mccain. covering what race every single night was like being in the front car on a roller coaster with no seat belt. thank you governor palin. but when barack obama won on election night, when he and joe biden beat mccain and sarah palin and gave that historic speech in grant park in chicago, i knew exactly who i wanted to talk to first on this show after that election. my first guest, the night after the 2008 presidential election was not a national political figure, but rather a mayor. the mayor of the largest city in new jersey.