Some moments in history live indelibly in the memories of generations of Americans their entire lives.
The triumph of Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination surely is one of those moments.
It's only been 54 years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown vs. Board of Education that black children should no longer be treated as second-class citizens in education. And it's been far fewer years since blacks were last denied access to public accommodations, such as restaurants, movie theaters and lodging.
Now, the possibility of a black president in the Oval Office should truly confirm that indisputable credo that America truly is a land of opportunity where anything is possible and an inspiration to America-watchers worldwide. The same would've been true had Hillary Clinton won the primary and caucus campaign and become the first female nominee.
As for Sen. Clinton, instead of gracefully conceding the obvious, she and Bill Clinton and their advisers persisted in the fiction that she could muscle her way into the nomination by persuading super-delegates to switch their support from Obama to her.
She and Bill Clinton simply could not accept her political mortality. It required a conference call of more than 20 members of Clinton supporters in Congress to literally demand she end her embarrassing show of arrogance and selfishness.
Notwithstanding polls showing Sen. Clinton might ensure some votes for Obama if she were the vice presidential running mate, Sen. Obama would be foolish in the extreme to name her.
Sen. Clinton is disqualified on a number of accounts. Her disapproval rating is sky high. Her patronizing put-downs of Sen. Obama would destroy her credibility during the campaign against John McCain. Her repeated claims she was a victim of sexism would cripple her ability to lead in the vice presidency. And, worse, Bill Clinton's presence on the fringe of an Obama presidency could be a disaster, considering his newfound unsavory friends, rumors of renewed infidelity, his grubby quest for millions of dollars in speaking fees, and the real danger his uncontrollable outbursts could compromise Obama policies.
Obama has set an inspiring and convincing course of change. The Clintons are damaged goods with stale ideas.
The task now for Sen. Obama is to illustrate the vivid contrasts between his agenda and vision and that of John McCain, who seems stuck on creating a presidency obsessed with waging warfare against overwhelming public objections, giving the cold shoulder to nations that disagree with his philosophy, and continuing the Bush theory that tax policies favoring the wealthy is good for all Americans.