Obama's Victory Over Anger, History

I'm just savoring the moment. There's really no punditry needed.

Except this: It was impossible not to notice the difference between the crowds in Grant Park and other cities around the country rallying for Obama, and the gathering in Arizona for McCain.

The Obama crowds were much more diverse across the board - - and that was the basis of his electoral coalition that rolled up an impressive win.

William Faulkner believed that slavery was a sort of original sin in the formation of the country, and if you believe that, as I do, then there is a certain logic to believing that only an African-American can lead the healing that is needed to wipe the sin away.

Some of my family have been working hard for Obama for months, and they reported the rewarding work that was taking place in that campaign on a daily basis between blacks and whites.

So it's a shared victory with a great deal of promise, and that is available to everyone regardless of whether you voted for Obama or McCain.