A Great Day

I think Americans have a great deal to be proud of today with the swearing in of Barack Obama. While I'm sure I'll end up disagreeing with how he ends up implementing some of the ideas he championed in his inaugural address, it's truly remarkable that a relatively unknown and a black man at that (well, half black anyway), has risen and overcome the political establishment to become the most powerful man in the world. Whether rightly or wrongly, Obama's election is seen as a rebirth and renewal - but that this has happened at all is uniquely American (WSJ):

In "reaffirming the greatness of our nation," Mr. Obama tapped into the deep well of optimism about our country and our future that is, still, characteristically American. And there can be no doubt that the throng who came to see him sworn in, and many millions of others around the U.S., see in Mr. Obama a chance for renewal.

I will note further that while I would not have voted for him (had I been American) based on his policies particularly with regard to Defence during the campaign, I'm more than comforted by his choices for key economic and security posts that recognize the practical realities of a world that remains full of governments hostile to individual liberty and American ideals.