The Whole World Cheers

CNN just called the election. The footage of people cheering around the country and the world is breathtaking (they're going nuts in Kenya! In Australia!). Forget about the politics, ideology, and policy positions for a minute. Tonight is truly extraordinary. Has there ever been a more concrete declaration of America as a meritocracy? Have you ever seen the whole world cheer in unison? Has one single election ever been so symbolically immediate and positive as this one? Wow. Godspeed, Barack Obama.