Obama's election and the swing of history's hinge

Last night America stepped into a new era. It was a sure step, accompanied by 52% of voters casting their ballots for Barack ("Yes, we can") Obama. Many forces came together to swing this hinge of history, but the biggest push came from the junior Senator from Illinois who in January will be the 46th President.

For many people, in the U.S. and in other countries, Obama fulfills their so-often-frustrated hopes -- for a more harmonious world, for racial reconciliation, for anything and everything that helps us see that each of us is part of a human community that is as small as our family and friends and big as the world.

In their speeches last night, Obama and John McCain recognized that elemental truth, each in his own way.

Let's hope what they said continues to echo, particularly in Washington, and starting on Jan. 20, 2009.