Even in the midst of the continuing global financial turmoil and a US Presidential election campaign that keeps reaching new lows in terms of gutter politics, there is still a ray of hope that America might be ready to march into a new day of history.

As we enter the final weeks of the Presidential campaign, a man of colour, Barack Obama, holds an edge in the race for the White House for the first time. Some feel this is a major victory for minorities even to reach this stage in the electoral process, because it shows a majority of Americans are willing to judge a man by his character and abilities rather than his ethnicity.

Whether America actually turns this promise into reality will only be determined on election day.

Either way, history will be made because the US will either have its first black President or its first female Vice President. The latter choice has caused extreme discomfort among many Democrats and moderate Republicans because it is felt by many that Sarah Palin, John McCain's Vice Presidential choice, lacks the ability to lead the nation if, God forbid, this became necessary. An elderly lady told me recently that while Obama's lead in the polls looks good, the real test will be when Americans go into the polling both.

Some of the most bitter sentiments being expressed openly, reflect deeply rooted prejudices by too many people still locked in yesterday's hatred for those they consider inferior. Although the number of voters who carry this type of bigotry is dwindling, this is not the time to take them lightly.

Sen. McCain had a face to face encounter last week with radical expressions during one of his campaign stops. He was forced to defend Sen. Obama, describing him as a decent good American citizen, despite boos from those who are supposed to be his supporters. What a sad moment, especially since both political groups are composed of distinguished blacks and whites.

Some political observers have blamed Sarah Palin for igniting hatred by referring to Sen. Obama as someone who "palled" around with terrorists. In one of her campaign appearances some of her supporters were so enraged they actually shouted remarks to have Obama killed. Unlike Sen. McCain, there was no evidence she openly condemned those hate-filled comments on the spot.

The world has America under the microscope at the moment in light of the global economic squeeze, and the unpopular Wall Street bail out by the Government, which has left many of its citizens with heavy financial losses.

Many Americans feel the nation's economic closet needs to be cleaned out, before a fresh start can be launched. CNN's Anderson Cooper should be commended for listing the names of those top executives who steered the financial ship onto the rocks, while making certain their financial life jackets were within reach.

It is a mess that few could have envisioned from the country that prides itself on being the world's most powerful nation. It could be a long time before trust is restored, since so many have been adversely affected by a group of powerful people who were so obsessed with greed that little or no concern was given for the average citizen trying to achieve the American dream.

There are some lessons here, even for Bermuda. No matter how rosy the picture may appear on the surface, there are serious problems facing the average worker and indeed the family. In this new era, the free press has a vital role to play in seeking out the truth and keeping issues before the public. Part of the new day for America and indeed Bermuda, is ensuring that what is good for the people should be paramount.

When people lose their jobs because companies are unable to cope with financial losses, no fancy words like "Bermuda is looking good", will comfort them. When people feel economic pain they usually don't care which political party is in power. They simply want to know that their immediate concerns are being addressed.

A good portion of America feels that way at the moment. The next chapter in handling that critical situation is yet to be written.