Obama wins

I don't normally mention politics, but I'm blown away by the news that Barack Obama has been elected president of the USA: see Obama wins historic US election. While he has downplayed the issue of his racial background, it can hardly be ignored. Whether he succeeded by his own actions (overcoming prejudices about it or by making it simply irrelevant) or by the American mindset having changed, his election is a radical milestone in American politics. Plus, as a Democrat and highly intelligent, he looks good news for the world in general. See the historical analysis from How Barack Obama defied history (Nick Bryant, BBC News, Washington).