After 2 long years of campaigning, we finally have picked the next person to be our leader. On November 4th, Barack Obama was elected to be the 44th President of the United States of America.

After announcing his candidacy in February of 2007, Illinois Senator Barack Obama launched an extensive grass-roots campaign, which effectively utilized the Internet for small contributions, advertising, and voter education. Encouraging the average person to donate what they could afford led to the largest campaign budget in United States history. The combination of unmatched funds, a message of change, and unsurpassed oratory skills allowed Senator Obama to easily win the election.

Despite his unsurpassed campaigning techniques, the most remarkable achievement from this election is the choice of an African American to be our President. This will most likely be remembered as an event as important as Dr. King’s renowned “I Have a Dream” speech. It is remarkable for someone from my generation to look back forty years, when our parents were in their teens or younger, and see the hatred that was a part of daily life. During the fifties and sixties, it was still common to find segregated bathrooms and designated seats on public busses. Looking at the evolution from a separate but equal society to an electorate willing to ignore the color of a man’s skin makes this election truly historic.

The most important aspect of this historical point in time, however, is the hope it has given to all Americans; white or black, rich or poor. The hope, that anyone who is hardworking and has enough determination, can be the President of The United States, has never been proven truer.