i hate getting political, but

obama did win, and having grown up in md. in the 60's, and my jr. high having been the segregated black high school 2 years before i got there, i am overwhelmed/overjoyed that we have an inspiring president-elect, no matter his color. in addition, my quaker heritage (of which i am quite proud, having great-great-grandfolks who facilitated the underground railroad), i believe, ties me more closely to the pride felt by my fellow citizens, who have endured racism's ugliness and brutality; and makes me emotional by proxy about the historic nature of this election's results and the struggle it has taken to get to this point.
but i am more elated that it seems we have someone who will govern by consensus instead of by "mandate", by inspiration instead of by command -- hoping that the monumental challenges he faces will somehow allow him to put america back where it belongs in the eyes of the world. we should never be a pariah or a bully, always the beacon of liberty and opportunity my other grandparents saw when they left estonia 80 years ago to make their lives here. this was a tough one for me, until mccain made a significant choice. up to that point i thought he might represent all of us; instead, i saw that the strongest of all men caved to political pressure, and stopped being himself. sad.
what a challenge our new president faces, and how surprisingly resentful and seething are our friends, the kind, thoughtful, bright, articulate, deeply faithful folks who believed that this new president was not the person to lead our nation forward.
may this election lead to comfort for all stakeholders.