[Ben]

Surely Obama will need to prove himself over the next few years. However, last night was historic regardless. Both for who Obama is and what he said. Throughout this campaign people have criticized Obama for only being able to make good speeches. I don't believe that, though time will tell. But those people seem to forget the power of speech - that it is important. What we say inspires action and changes the world. Last night Obama used the example of an 106 year old African American woman who voted in this election to illustrate the social progress that's been made over the past century. He then encouraged everyone to look beyond themselves toward the promise of a better future, and think about what progress can be made in the next 100 years. I believe that message transcends party lines and politics, and hope that for one moment everyone was able to put their cynicism aside and embrace it.