Barack Obama is the next President of the United States. I breathe a substantial sigh of relief. Not because I think he will right this ship in four years, or even eight if given the opportunity. Of course I am relieved that Bush/Cheney will be headed to the garbage bin of history (dustbin is too good for them); four more years of republican rule would have been tantamount to approval of the tragic policies of the previous eight. No, my mind is at ease because intellect, reason and diplomacy will return to the national discourse.

Indeed, this election will be remembered most because electing a racial minority to the highest office of the land was in a sense a referendum on race and how the country views the racial divide that appears to be shrinking. I would also like to believe that the impact young voters had on this outcome speaks well for the future of race relations. That these triumphs come in the form of one brilliant person who recognizes that everyone must contribute to the reconstruction of the body, mind and soul of the nation, is doubly inspiring. The smart people are in charge again! Not only did we elect the right person for the job and state plainly that the majority of this country will vote for a person of color to lead, but we may have also put an end to the scourge of anti-intellectualism that has plagued us for too long. Perhaps we have entered a new era where the "Best and the Brightest" are lauded, not ridiculed. The enormous task that lies ahead requires nothing less than the best we have to offer.