Now that the 2008 presidential election is officially in the books, America can begin its Wednesday morning quarterbacking.

I'm personally ready start thinking about other things -- like, if it will snow this weekend -- but before I move on, I have a few closing reflections on this most historic of elections.

• I've never seen such a smooth, on-point campaign like what Obama waged this year. Apparently, having an unlimited amount of money helps. From the door-hangings telling me exactly where to vote, to the volunteers fanned out on street corners around the city, every Obama move was consistent in both look and feel. The campaign never veered from its message, and as someone with a history in politics, public relations and journalism, I have to admire this perfectly-executed run for the White House.
• Election night was smooth and free from drama. Though it was pretty much over by 7 p.m., it was officially over by 10 p.m. McCain promptly came out to concede, and Obama took the stage at 11 p.m. I was asleep by 11:30 p.m. Unprecedented efficiency.
• Speaking of concessions, McCain was more than gracious last night. He took the high road, even when he didn't need to, in congratulating the president-elect. Like Al Gore in 2000, one of McCain's finest moments was this speech. I did, however, expect a word or two from Sarah Palin.
• Speaking of Palin, never in my career have I written a more accurate column on how this election would go down than in the blog I wrote about Palin on the day McCain chose her. I got plenty of flack at the time, but go back and reread it. It turned out to be spot on.
• Last night, I toggled between cable and national networks for my coverage, but the local TV stations hijacked the crystal clear HD coverage to show local results -- in lo-def. That was pretty frustrating, so I wound up watching CNN in HD as the night wore on, even though Wolf Blitzer and his self-congratulating platitudes grate on me like sandpaper.
• I found all the numbers flying around the screen a bit distracting, and at times, overloading. The fake set on NBC was slightly cool, but the story of the night was CNN's "holographic" projection from Grant Park. I like where this is going, but the blue glow around the reporter is just weird.
• I know I need to stop worrying about this, but I can't stop fearing for Obama's life in big crowds. I want to think our country is over the race issue, but I kept wondering how secure he was in front of a million people in Chicago last night. Am I alone here?
• I really do understand why we don't need to show an ID when voting, but it still strikes me as bizarre that anyone who knows my name and address can vote as me. I know that forcing people to show drivers' licenses or state IDs can disenfranchise minorities and poor people, but shouldn't every American be required to have some sort of ID or Social Security Card or something?
• So Palin says she's here for the long term. Don't count on it. Republican leadership isn't known for tolerating failure, and I predict her political career is toast. Remember when Dan Quayle thought about running for president in 1996? Yeah, I barely do, either.
• Finally, I am incredibly impressed on the accuracy of fivethiryeight.com. They predicted Obama would get 348.6 electoral votes, and McCain would garner 189.4. Not only did they guess every state correctly, but while we wait for Missouri and North Carolina (and what's up with that?), it's possible that fivethirtyeight.com will have guessed exactly right. Very impressive.