A lot of Democrats are finally breathing again. After seeing a lead in the polls leading up to the 2000 and 2004 elections wither into defeat, progressive voters have been uneasy about a repeat of history. The so-called Bradley effect, predicting a change of heart by whites in the privacy of the voting booth added greatly to the Democratic anxiety.

Well, we can finally exhale. John McCain has conceded. And he did so with the grace and dignity the senator shelved soon after winning the Republican nomination. Perhaps if Senator McCain had stuck to his principles, this might have been a much closer race.

Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani once said: “We campaign in poetry and govern in prose.” Starting January 9th, President-elect Obama will begin the real dialog.