The Long Sweep of History

The op-ed piece in the New York Times on Friday, 7 October by Orlando Patterson was moving, both emotionally and intellectually. It places the importance of Obama's win beyond the short-term thrill of the moment,and looks for its origin in the depth of thought and philosophy of the Founding Fathers. If this becomes accepted wisdom, it will further advance the foresight and brilliance of America's first revolutionaries and as importantly, work on the psyche of even the most recalcitrant racists.