I was watching bits of the President's speach in Cairo with almost wonder. After almost a decade of Bush, suddeny we see intelligence and awareness and genuine principle, it seemed almost impossible that an American President could deliver such an excellent expression of understanding and vision of a way forward.

The 'West Wing' is back! Certainly this period of US history is more unexpected than any political movie. And it shows up my ignorance regarding the American people - I would never have dreamed even a decade ago that they could possibly vote into the Presidency an intelligent black man who had been brought up partly in Indonesia and who is actually aware of the world outside America's borders.

Now all he has to do is go back home and see if he can't make some more Americans see outside their borders (physical and mental) too. And by voting for him they have shown they are on that road already.

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