Finally the Americans did the right thing. Obama may not be able to do very much when he gets into power - he may even be more protectionist than Bush was, thanks to the economic crisis that has now overtaken us - but at least his election is a symbolic repudiation of the last eight disastrous years, and a sign that America is finally beginning to put the legacy of slavery behind it. Beginning, because one president with a mixed ethnic background doesn't meant that racism is suddenly abolished.
Nevertheless, even in my lifetime, his election would have been unthinkable - even though he may not be simply 'black' (if there is such a thing, which reflection leads one to doubt) he certainly doesn't look 'white', and in the 1970s the declaration that thirty years later someone of his appearance would be in the Oval Office would have produced responses on a scale that ran from incredulity to hysteria. A lot has changed in just a generation.
And who knows, he may be able at least to repair the disastrous foreign policy of the Bush administration, even if he can't fix the health system in the US. He is certainly a very impressive speaker. Watching his victory speech was a reminder of the enduring power of political oratory, but he was in no way triumphalist, nor was he behaving like a rabble rouser. Indeed, he was remarkably measured and gracious, and did his best to prepare his supporters for the tough times that undeniably lie ahead. So, well done, and fingers crossed.
