what happens now?

Two quick post-election anecdotes that I experienced the following morning.

First, an African-American woman was proudly typing away on a laptop emblazoned with a new screen saver. "The Obama's. America's New First Family".

Second, I saw a person of color working in a restaurant struggling to lift a big metal container full of food around a hot kitchen. His head was beaded with sweat and lines of effort carved into his face over many years of toil.

These contrasting anecdotes aptly summarize the great promise and tremendous peril of the new Obama presidency.

People across the world, especially of color, have imputed much hope in this astoundingly historic victory.

However, although he will be, in the space of less than 60 days, the holder of the most powerful office on earth, there are limits to what even a remarkably skilled politician like Mr. Obama can do.

In a precarious world that has become increasingly intertwined, where social problems have seemingly become intractable, Mr. Obama's words of hope resonated with a large proportion of the population. But still, there is a sizable minority of Americans who resoundingly rejected his message and, more disturbingly, who he is as a human being. It will take every ounce of Mr. Obama's inestimable skills as a communicator to invite the entire population into a frank discussion about its future. And perhaps, more importantly, to depolarize an increasingly fragmented House and Senate that is divided among party lines, get them to work together and come to a consensus on a number of important issues that will effect this nation for a long long time.

If that is not the most tremendous American communication problem of our time, I'm not sure what is...