Sen. Barack Obama’s positive message of hope and change resonated with the electorate, and last night it carried him to the pinnacle: The Democratic presidential nomination.

Obama may have transcended party labels and race, but its the historical significance of an African American Democratic nominee that we celebrate today. The Rev. Martin Luther’s King’s dream is on the verge of becoming reality, and this should be cause for joy for Americans of all races.

Obama’s victory proves that good guys finish first — sometimes. Hillary Clinton has more baggage than Southwest, but Obama never brought up Whitewater or any of the dozens of other Clinton scandals. Obama ran one of the most positive presidential campaign in American history.

Hillary, desperate and without scruples, engaged in a “kitchen sink” strategy, throwing everything at Obama, but he didn’t respond in kind. Obama may have been frustrated by the petty nature of the race, but he remained above the fray.

Even when Hillary ran that subliminally racist “3 o’clock in the morning” ad, Obama didn’t respond with his own negative commercial.

The good guy clinches the Democratic presidential nomination and the bad (rhymes with witch) loses but refuses to concede and congratulate the winner.

Hillary is in Obama’s rear view mirror, and now only Sen. John McCain stands in his way of achieving his ultimate goal. McCain is a deeply flawed candidate, but I know that Obama will run a clean general election campaign.

When the Democratic nomination was still unresolved, all eyes were on Hillary and Obama, and John McCain was virtually ignored by the press.

A couple of weeks ago In a desperate attempt to garner media coverage, McCain invited Obama to visit Iraq with him. This wasn’t a sincere request, McCain couched his invitation in condescending terms, explaining that it would give him an opportunity to teach Obama about the facts on the ground in Iraq.

McCain likes to brag that he’s visited Iraq eight times, but how much can a presidential candidate really learn about that country by going there? To protect him from terrorists, McCain has yet to visit any of the hot spots. How much of the war zone can McCain see when he’s surrounded by bodyguards, and escorted to heavily protected American enclaves?

How should Obama respond to McCain’s publicity stunt? I think that Obama should accept McCain’s invitation for the following reasons:

First of all, it would serve as a teaching opportunity: McCain has a lot to learn about Iraq and the Middle East. Obama can start by teaching McCain the difference between Sunni and Shiite insurgents. Obama could also point out to McCain that their flack jackets, armed escorts and helicopters flying overhead is proof that everything isn’t hunky dory.

In the second place, it would boost troop morale if our brave warriors saw that both presidential candidates care about their safety and well being. Support for our troops shouldn’t be a partisan issue, all of us need to show them that we love and admire them.

And finally it would give McCain and Obama a chance to bond, and get to know each other. After a few days together in that hellish part of the world, they might return to America and wage a civil and courteous campaign.

Obama has invited McCain to visit inner cities with him, stand in gas lines, wait in ER’s, to get a feel of what the average American feels. Turnabout is fair play, McCain should visit a few inner cities with Obama.

Now that Obama has clinched the nomination and Hillary will soon be out of the picture (hopefully), McCain will be getting plenty of attention from the press and he won’t have to resort to publicity stunts.

Obama Faces Racism in West Virginia – video powered by Metacafe

….Red State Update

Writes Bob Herbert: Read the full story