One black historian writes, "Twenty years ago it would have been inconceivable that the news would portray a black man as out of touch with the working-class. . . . Dr. King's dream is now a reality." See the hilarious Onion video for the rest of the story.

In truth, I do think there is something encouraging about the way most Americans are no more nor less likely to see Obama as just another politician, and, between him and McCain, are ready to determine the lesser of two evils by the content of their powermad character rather than the color of their skin. Some still see this in terms of race, unfortunately: I bet there are white liberals who will not vote for him because he's black, and white conservatives who judge him on color more than the lousiness of his policies. But, in a sense, this campaign might indeed be a step toward equal opportunity for the plundering classes and color-blind hatred of the political elite.