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One of the fiercest battles for the Oval Office in the White House in modern American history ended dramatically last Tuesday night when Obama added the Ohio electoral votes to his tally to earn his passage for a second term as President of the United States of America. Until then, it was too close to call. When all was over, the Americans exhibited a character which set them apart from the rest of us and which has made that nation the cynosure of the rest of the world. First was the speech delivered by Governor Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate who gave incumbent Obama the scare of his life, to his supporters in Boston, Massachusetts, after he had called the President to concede defeat and to congratulate him on his re-election. Obviously, Romney came so close and was clearly disappointed that his message was rejected by the majority of American voters. However, he never sounded bitter, acrimonious nor antagonistic. He never looked for scapegoats for his defeat or saw the manipulations of unseen hands to thwart his ambition to occupy the most powerful office in the world. In a brief speech, Romney accepted the verdict of the American people and said he had no option than to respect the wish of the majority of Americans and lend his support to President Obama so that together they could work to attain the vision for America. That is well said and done. On the other side, President addressed thousands in Chicago without sounding pompous. At his oratorical best, he delivered one of his most powerful and emotional speeches to thank his supporters, especially those who did the field work to ensure his victory in the tight race. At no time did Obama try to rake old wounds by making reference to the campaign period, which is now history. He did not make any disparaging remarks about the man who was his opponent in the race to the White House. The battle was over and everything he said was about America and the way forward. He said once the elections were over, his administration would work with the Republicans to address the concerns of Americans. Any lessons there? President Obama noted that America had achieved its greatness not because of its status as the world�s wealthiest and most powerful nation, nor for its culture and institutions of learning. America is great because of the greatness and unity of its people who come from diverse backgrounds. This is why others from other nations are clamouring to come and have a taste of the great America. Throughout the campaign period, the American flag was more visible than party flags or other paraphernalia as we see here. The message is simple. The people were pursuing an agenda to elect an American President and not a party president. Electoral contests are not duels between two combatants who are putting their physical strengths to test. They are contests of ideas and the electorate are the judges. Victory for one person means his ideas have triumphed and have been accepted by the majority of the people. This should not be seen as a personal victory to be flaunted and used to taunt others. Political campaigns in the US cannot be said to be smooth always. They could be rough at times, but the bottom line is they are dominated by issues. Once the elections are over, the elected person becomes the President of the US and not a party representative at the seat of government, in our case the Osu Castle who does as he/she pleases to either favour party members or isolate the rest of us. Both Obama and Romney emphasised the point that as individuals, they have their interests and diverse opinions, but what matters is their collective decision and effort to push their nation forward. Obama was elected not because his father came from Kenya in Africa, was born in Hawaii and has Chicago in the State of Illinois as his hometown. His support base cut across the colour spectrum and transcends racial barriers � Whites, Hispanics Latinos and Blacks. He was elected because the majority of Americans bought into his vision of bringing change to America. He won the hearts of the majority of the Americans again because they still share in his vision and believe that he deserves another four years to deliver. If we want this nation to move forward and come close to greatness, we should stop playing the tribal and ethnic cards. We must begin to assess candidates on their merits and what we think they are capable of. We must begin to purge our politics of fanaticism and blind loyalty. America is great because over the years, the people have been able to harness the strength of their diversity and multiple talents into a great cohesive union. We are a few weeks away from our presidential and parliamentary polls and we could do with a few lessons from the American experience. We must begin to dwell on the issues that continue to pin us down to the ground despite all the human and material resources God has generously given us. Our presidential candidates must convince the electorate that they are eager to occupy the Castle not because they want to fleece the country and satisfy their selfish interests but that of the nation. Our politicians must realise that they have no powers of their own and that what makes them powerful is the collective power of the people transferred to them to manage in trust. Let us also resolve that our electoral process will be an opportunity to offer alternatives towards the same ultimate goal. Let us also come to terms with the fact that when we lose, it may not be because the people do not like us or hate us but because other alternatives have prevailed. To those who may emerge victorious, let them not consider it a personal victory but a victory for superior ideas and an opportunity to transform these into practice that would bring drastic and qualitative change in the lives of the people. We must agree that when the contest is over, we are back together as one with one President who must embrace all of us as one big family.