Another day to remember

Modern life is so fixated on historical and cultural milestones. Where were you when Kennedy was shot? Where were you when Elvis died? What were you doing on 9-11?

Today, we are on the verge of another such day, but with a notable exception. Unlike the other aforementioned events, which took us all by surprise, the import of this day has already been grasped - even if it has not been fully understood.

By the end of the day, and possibly into the wee hours, America shall have its first black President, or its first female Vice-President. Rarely is an election cast in such a way as to represent a breakthrough regardless of the winner.

Partisans in the US will argue the suitability of either party and their team, but for a nation that has been forever coming to terms with the question of race, and for a broader Western society that is still attempting to balance itself fairly on the question of gender, Barack Obama and Sarah Palin are in the right place at the right time.

America needs Obama in that it needs to have a visceral fulfilment of the promises made during the Civil Rights movement of the late 1950's and throughout the 1960's. There are many - including myself - that are uncomfortable with the almost 'messianic' characterizations of Sen. Obama. Nevertheless, it is the role he seems destined to play, if only to vindicate Rev. King's own status as a secular 'John the Baptist.'

Sarah Palin, whether or not you agree with her, represents a way forward for women. Not only does she come from a part of the political spectrum that has been seen as lagging on this front, but she represents a brand of 'feminism' that challenges the old orthodoxy. She is a threat to the notion that women are only empowered if their independent choices fit a proscribed narrative.

Regardless of the result, however, one ticket will win and the other will lose. Over the next four years, as the US faces major challenges at home and abroad, the winners will be criticized as poor stewards of power, either lacking a plan to move forward, or the resolve to see it through. The team that loses tonight will also write the narrative that casts the decision in a negative light, that the result was one-part tokenism based on race or gender, and one-part hatred based, again, either on race or gender.

That is why this is a day to remember, because this may very well be as good as it gets.