Toni Morrison once said that Bill Clinton was “Blacker than any actual Black person who could ever be elected in our children’s lifetime.”

She was wrong.

As state after state moved into the Democratic column last night, hope crystallized into a reality: Barack Hussein Obama will be the 44th President of the United States of America.

This is a monumental step forward for our politics and our country. For 232 years, our founding fathers’ promise of liberty and equality for all has rung hollow for a large segment of the American population. But today, Obama’s election gives hope that we are on the brink of realizing this ideal.

In the past eight years, Republican rule has undermined everything from America’s powerful economy to its esteemed position in the world, but the people have powerfully spoken in favor of change. While a divisive McCain campaign attempted to exploit every racial, ethnic, and class tension still extant in America, the politics of Karl Rove that succeeded in delivering the Republicans two consecutive presidential elections couldn’t be counted on for a third. Many may have believed that Barack Obama was too smart, too black, or even too “Muslim” to be accepted by voters from New Hampshire to Nevada, but the American voters have proven them wrong.

As Barack Obama frequently says, his is a uniquely American story. That this self-described “skinny kid with a funny name” can rise to the highest office in the nation is a testament to the power of the American Dream.

That said, President Obama will face profound challenges when he comes into office, ranging from a stagnant economy to two wars with no end in sight. It has frequently been asserted that Obama’s appeal is all rhetoric and no substance, that “hope” and “change” are little more than buzzwords cynically designed to win over a gullible electorate.

We think differently. Obama has proven his intelligence, thoughtfulness, and capability again and again, both in his career in public service and in this long and grueling campaign. We trust that he will truly bring change to our government and our country.