In today's show we discuss the results of the US election and the challenges facing the president-elect.
Is this really a new era for politics in the United States, does it mean an end to racism in the divided country and what will Obama do for other countries around the world?
Neil Conan, an award-winning journalist and host of NPR's Talk of the Nation, is waiting for a clear ideology from Obama.
Sarah Wildman, a regular contributor to Guardian America's Comment is free and contributing writer for a number of publications, including the New York Times and the American Prospect, thinks Obama may prioritise healthcare.
Reiham Salam, an editor at The Atlantic and a fellow at the New America Foundation, thinks this is the result of a structural shift to the centre-left in American politics.
Plus Martin Kettle looks at the Democratic coalition that has just won the election - is it really concrete, or was this a reaction against the past?
And we hear the expectations of Washington DC's mayor, Adrian Fenty.
