Barack Obama is leading our tribe now.

It’s an historic break from the past, and validation that anyone can still reach the top in America – and we needed that validation.

But maybe more than that, we desperately need intelligent, trustworthy leadership.

We needed confirmation that reason and logic still matter; that we are a nation where the law applies to everyone; and that collectively we still aspire to the ideals of liberty, tolerance, peace and justice.

All of this came into serious doubt over the last eight years.

Drowning government in a bathtub turned out to be not such a good idea when we are a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Our leaders have embroiled us in dubious wars halfway around the world and driven the world economy into the ditch. They’ve shown us what happens when you put a fox in the henhouse in health care, education, the environment, disaster relief, etc.

Even now we don’t know how bad it’s gotten, and we may never know the extent of it.

But we have turned the corner. Words matter again.

This morning we have a leader who uses words not to hide the truth, but to describe a hopeful vision of what we can achieve and who we can be, if we try.

It’s a beautiful day.