''My presence on this stage is pretty unlikely,'' Sen. Barack Obama said when most Americans heard him speak for the first time at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Last night, in a moment that once would have seemed even more unlikely, if not impossible, he became the first person of African-American descent to accept the presidential nomination of a major political party.
His rapid ascent says a lot about Sen. Obama's political talent, especially his ability to inspire legions of young voters. But however one feels about his candidacy and that of his rival, Republican Sen. John McCain, his nomination also represents an event of historic proportions, a landmark achievement in a country where race has always been a major political factor.
Before Lyndon Johnson signed the civil rights acts of the mid-1960s, Democrats had won seven of 10 preceding presidential elections. Republicans won seven of the next 10.
Race was not the only reason, but it played a part.
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