Obama … has exhibited enormous grace under pressure. … More than any other candidate this year, he has articulated an idea of a nobler America. That is partly because of who he is. When Mr Obama’s parents married, in 1960, a union such as theirs, between a white woman and a black man, was illegal in over half of America’s states. Now their son stands at the threshold of the White House. But it also has a lot to do with what he says and how he comports himself. Despite considerable provocation, he has never wavered from his commitment to bipartisanship—nor from the idea of America once again engaging with the world. There are severe problems with the details, on which Mr McCain will hopefully push him even further than Mrs Clinton has, but the upside of an Obama presidency remains greater than that of any other candidate.

The Democrats | Almost there | Economist.com