WHAT A marvellous day it was - the first black president of the United States, the hugely increased turnout and public engagement, the joy and hope for change freely expressed by so many citizens, the soaring acceptance speech, the vindication of representative democracy.
Barack Obama's decisive victory is on any measure a defining, historic moment for the US. His message has a global resonance too at a time of deep international uncertainty, reminding us that politics is a universal vocation and agency for changing the world.Mr Obama has delivered spectacularly well on the first and most important promise of his long campaign - to get elected.
The manner of doing so says a lot about his temperament and capabilities for office. It has been one of the best organised and most innovative campaigns of modern times, facing some of the most gruelling obstacles imaginable. He defeated first the formidable Clinton election machine to win the Democratic nomination and then surmounted ancient but still active racial prejudices and misapprehensions to build a winning coalition against John McCain which transcends those divisions.
He proved himself able to master a great range of political skills, displaying a cool unflappability along the way that more experienced political leaders can only envy, admire and seek to emulate. His ability to respond so effectively to the economic crisis that broke in the US in the last stage of the campaign decidedly confirmed that impression.
All this gives Mr Obama an extraordinary mandate to carry out his programme, along with the new congressional Democratic majorities. It should also bolster his legitimacy among political opponents.
But as he said in his acceptance speech it will take time and probably more than one presidential term to deliver on his promises of greater equality and real change for the people who supported him. His message of change combines abstract, expressive and concrete elements.
The long indignity of racial inequality in the United States is addressed just by his being in the White House and occupying the most powerful elected position in the world. It will diminish further. He and his family have shown grace and style in their victory. This is an immensely proud moment for all Americans if they are willing to seize its opportunity - and it has a deservedly universal appeal.
Mr Obama faces a different problem in addressing the material inequalities he promised to reduce and in creating the right circumstances for restoring the social mobility and freedom on which the American dream is based. His ability to do this will depend on overcoming the economic difficulties faced by the US. This will take time and determination in the face of major vested interests.
His deliberative and communications skills will be a crucial resource in managing these hopes and expectations. Much will depend on who he appoints to his administration, how he implements his plans and conducts relations with the rest of the world.
That is for another day. The election of the first black president to the White House is a moment to savour.