There are many lessons to be found in Barack Obama's electoral success, but one of them has nothing to do with race, politics or government. Instead it's a lesson about the tactile nature of history.
At a time when daily newspapers nationwide are struggling to merely survive, the morning after the Obama victory they couldn't print enough copies to meet reader demand. New York Times corporate bonds may be rated as "junk" by credit agencies, but on this day the line would-be readers stretched around the block outside the Times building.
Some papers went so far as to reprint copies of Wednesday's paper again on Thursday. Or offer it as an insert in their Sunday editions. The reason? Millions of people wanted a keepsake, for themselves, for their children, for their grandchildren. And for that, a download just wouldn't do. You can't hold an image on a computer screen. You can't fold it over and place it in a scrapbook. You can't gently open old, yellowed pages and be transported back in time. On this day, all the things that are commonly seen as limitations suddenly became competitive advantages.
People want history they can hold, not simply look at. Better get your reservation for the special Inaugural editions in early. It promises to be another sell-out.
