After eight years of proud incuriosity and anti-intellectualism, we now have a leader who values nuance and careful thought.

We can rejoice in the world's accolades over the election of a multicultural African-American to the presidency after nearly eight years of cringing in shame as the Bush administration methodically curdled our Constitutional values and sullied our global reputation as a beacon of hope.

Every once in a while, it seems, we Americans do manage to live up to our ideals rather than betray them. Hooray!