THE words and images remain fresh to our ears and eyes. After all, it is less than 24 hours since President Obama’s inauguration in Washington.
What unfolded there yesterday is surely one of those defining moments, creating memories we will all take into old age. One of those "remember where you were" days that does not dawn too often.
The sort of day, in case we forget, people replay their own movements when history is being made elsewhere. The sort of day many recall in association with one of Mr Obama’s predecessors as well as one of his inspirations.
There seem to be no short cuts in the US Presidential process. And, not content with staging one of the most prolonged elections anywhere on earth, the most powerful nation on the planet keeps us – and the winner – waiting more than two months to install the poll victor in office.
Such is the scale and magnitude of what Barack Obama has achieved, it’s as well the watching (and waiting) world has time to take it all in. It’s a measure of the scale of the new President’s task that many of his post-poll initial briefings have been ripped up and started again – such is the speed with which our world is changing.
In particular, one imagines, the economic, defence and security teams are being kept busy updating their new boss.
His was a campaign like no other. His own style and ability to communicate so effectively were matched by a host of other innovative tactics and techniques.
Critical among these, perhaps, was his team’s use of information technology.
The conventional media still played their significant part in informing US voters during the race for the White House, but the Obama Camp surely mastered the opportunities presented by modern technology to reach the people they needed to reach.
Everything from fund-raising to arranging delivery of Obama flags and posters was conducted via the internet.
If President Obama’s achievement is extraordinary, it’s matched only by the sense of expectation his election has created.
And that’s not just in America. The rest of the world is waiting and watching too.
* MATT JOHNSON is chairman of Mando Group
