United States, Senator Barack Obama’s historic nomination by his Democratic party for the presidential race in November has excited the passion of millions, especially blacks around the globe.

Obama has been able to inspire a nation and a world still enduring economic jolts sparked by a sliding US economy and rising oil prices.

Throughout the world, including here in the Virgin Islands, millions enthusiastically spent hours infront of their television sets, scanned the internet and radio as the Primary Elections stretched for months even after Senator Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton emerged as the two front-runners after other nominees faded out the race.

Senator Obama’s rise to the top of the Democratic Party was challenging as he rubbed shoulders and stood toe-to-toe in a bruising battle with Senator Clinton, a seasoned politician, once the front-runner for head of state and Commander-in-Chief.

Senator Obama’s message of change not only applied to the current US policies, but it meant that a reshuffling of the political deck in the United States had to be undertaken and the race card tossed out during the primary election.

It is an achievement that will undoubtedly chime through generations and give hope to millions of blacks still fighting against racial oppressions and for equal rights in various places.

His victory proves that a nation that finds solace as a world leader, is willing to make a change towards leading the global fight in areas other than military and nuclear power.

Obama, the son of a Kenyan statistician, has also proven that people can rise from humble beginnings and blossom on a stage with the possibility of leading a great nation.

The Illinois Senator has been able to set new standards of how many Americans think about national politics, and about who can and cannot run for their nation’s highest office.

Not only did Obama capture the imagination of his party, he also drew thousands of black citizens into the political process and awoke the political passions of a whole generation of Americans.

For Clinton, 60, it is a case of “never can say goodbye”, as described by the Sunday Times.

After witnessing her courageous fight to win the Oval Office her husband once occupied just eight years ago, critics will no longer be able to say that women don’t have the stamina or the tenacity to survive a grueling electoral process.

Clinton stood on the threshold of victory and on the doorsteps of history, but her actions in the last few days have been heavily criticised by her own party having failed to concede defeat to Senator Obama on the night of Tuesday May 3, when the Democrats wrapped up their final two primaries.

As Clinton finally announced her support for Obama on Saturday, her delayed endorsement seemed mysteriously similar to a victory celebration.

Despite the verbal jabs that came with the political campaign, both candidates have opened doors for future generations –Clinton for women and Obama for African-Americans.

Even if John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee and a white war hero, wins the White House, no one will ever be able to reverse the gains Obama has made for African-Americans.

Surely, the race is only half –way, but the world will continue to follow closely the political development as Obama seeks to write a new page in the history book of US politics.

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