WHAT TOMORROW REALLY MEANS.

It is not the end of politics as usual. Obama won the election with smart communications, technological innovation, and a savvy vision for the future of our country, but let's not kid ourselves -- hope came at a very, very steep price. Some estimate that Obama's campaign alone cost over $1 billion and that the election as a whole totaled an unprecedented $5.3 billion. As our public education system fails, our economy tanks, and our health-care system falls short, the circus of electoral politics plays on with grand fanfare. The inauguration, while unarguably exciting, will also be the final, ostentatious act in this particular performance.While we must resist the temptation to romanticize this moment into ridiculousness, it is legitimately inspiring.It is the beginning of a new kind of grace, the sort of humility that results from years of hubris, greed, and recklessness. I believe that Obama's famed character of calmness and reflection will be mirrored in the larger culture. How can we not try something new? Our financial institutions have crumbled around us, and the tectonic plates of global poverty, clashing religions, and violent retaliation are ever-shifting; we need steadfastness and humility like never before -- both within ourselves and within our leaders.