dnaxy said:

“Paradoxically, I think this means the end of the Democratic Party. Too many almost-insoluble crises loom for their watch in the next 4-8 years… People will look back on Bush’s years as times of relative bliss, albeit gawky.”

I agree. Unfortunately there’s a small but significant probability that this could also mean the end of the United States. History has shown repeatedly that great nations can unravel incredibly fast. Any silver lining in Obama’s victory will be insignificant compared to the storm that it will bring.