No hanging chads, no court challenges, no lingering legitimacy questions. While maybe not landslide electoral numbers, it was large majority as these things go. It was mainly an early majority. Over with, resoundingly, by 12 pm EST, when the president-elect spoke.

Obama was perfect in tone with his acceptance speech, blending in Lincoln quotes seamlessly, using the old woman's experience of history as scaffold for his recounting of our journey.

This is the way things ought to be. Like remembering to breathe, as Obama's sister described meeting him.