The Day We Painted the White House Black

This morning, at 12 p.m EST, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America - and, of course, as our nation's first black Commander-in-Chief.

The enormity of the day speaks for itself, but I felt I had to add to the bustling blogosphere my own sentiments of pride, awe, respect and a skeptical optimism for the future. I am proud that my country has taken such a step forward in progressive politics and equal rights; I am proud that the rest of the world is finally looking at America in celebration, and looking towards the White House for leadership and guidance. It feels so good to be able to look to my President in awe of his intelligence, his rhetorical skill and his leadership abilities. His speech was impressive, even in the context of his soaring campaign rhetoric; it was at once academic and accessible, realistic and hopeful, referential to America's rich and varied past while looking towards the future. It harkened back to the good old days of political oratory, and I must say, it was downright inspiring to listen to.

I once again have respect for the executive office, and while I know President Obama will disappoint me with more than one of his policy decisions over the next four to eight years, I at least know that I will be able to respect him and his judgment. He is not going to save us from all our problems; he is not the Messiah. But he does have all the qualities necessary to be a great President - intelligence, a thorough knowledge of the Constitution, rhetorical skill, political savvy, an eerie capability to remain calm under pressure, a progressive nature, an openness to new and competing ideas, a desire for bipartisan cooperation (and so far, the ability to achieve it), and a vision for a better America. To even be able to look to the new Presidency with a skeptical optimism is an amazingly welcome change, and I do believe that our 44th President, our first African-American President, will be a good leader. We the people must not fall into complacency - we must remain vigilant, holding Obama and his administration accountable for every decision. But we can rest assured knowing that there is, at last, a steady and capable hand at the helm. The image of the departing executives was a perfect visual summation of the moment at hand - Dubya shuffled, hands in his pockets, onto a helicopter at the far side of the Mall; the decrepit monster Dick Cheney was pushed towards a black sedan by his wife in a wheelchair. The Obamas, young, black, full of life and the excitement of the day, stood on the steps and bid them farewell.

Best of luck, Barack Obama. Today we are all living in history.

Today is the day that America, in the words of the prophet Luda, painted the White House black.