His triumph was no fluke. The presidency did not fall into Mr Obama's lap. He and his team planned and executed a flawless and audacious campaign, aimed not at sections of the electorate or regions of the country, but at the nation as a whole. In Hillary Clinton and John McCain, he had to defeat two formidable rivals. To do it, he rewrote the campaign textbook, raising astonishing sums in small donations. And his team's greatest asset was the candidate himself, a man whose calm and steady temperament made his message of change seem comforting. To challenge and reassure at the same time requires political talent of the highest order. Mr Obama is a once-in-a-generation politician.

Even the most jaded observer must feel that a new chapter in US history has begun. Previous historical turning points suggest themselves for comparison. Is Mr Obama another Franklin Roosevelt, ready to embark on a radical remaking of the country's political and social fabric? Or is he, odd as the parallel may seem, more like Ronald Reagan, inspirational but not so revolutionary, a man with ideas but a political unifier as well?

As far as one can judge, the country's hopes owe more to the unique qualities of Mr Obama, and to the difficult circumstances that confront him, than to any upheaval in its sense of what it wants. Once the celebrations following this extra- ordinary election are over, there is a warning here for the Obama administration-in-waiting.