Things I think after last night: John McCain's concession speech was almost gracious enough to erase from my memory that awful campaign he ran. I actually got a little choked up hearing what he had to say--which seems insane, given how desperately I didn't want him to win.

I've also been trying to think of some work of visual culture that can generate something akin to the feelings I had last night--when Obama finally strode across that stage in Grant Park. I'm at a loss...although given the number of commentators who credit the election results to a coalition of minorities and college educated whites, this finale from a popular 1984 film seems appropriate: