Cynics and opponents criticized him for offering rhetoric, and not solutions. But month after month, millions of voters believed.

When Illinois Sen. Barack Obama declared his candidacy in February 2007, he was an obscure, first-term senator facing an steep, uphill fight against a candidate considered to be the party’s inevitable choice.

Many questions were raised about Obama’s experience. Did this 46-year-old junior senator really have what it takes to become the Democratic nominee? Sure, he can give a great speech, but what does he stand for?

Then something crazy happened. Obama’s message of hope, change and national unity resonated in Iowa, where he won the first-in-the-nation caucuses January 3.

The floodgates opened, and we were in a race for the ages.

In the weeks that followed Iowa, a wide field of Democratic candidates dwindled to a mere two. Barack Obama, thought to be a long-shot, was among them.

He and Sen. Hillary Clinton fought to virtual draws in the early January primary states, then went full-tilt on Super Tuesday - the February 5 day of reckoning, 22 elections that were supposed to confirm Clinton’s destiny.

Didn’t happen.

A string of Barack Obama victories from Connecticut to Utah kept the race more or less tied, enabling him to run the table for the rest of February, gaining a lead that - while challenged and reduced - could not be overtaken.

The competition that started as fierce grew even more so. Clinton boasted her experience and hit back hard, campaigning relentlessly.

She and Obama took the stage across all of the 50 states, engaging in more than 20 debates. Tense exchanges between camps, negative ads and even a few scandals became the norm in this historic Democratic race.

The two endured Wright-gate and Bitter-gate (Obama) as well as Bosnia-gate (Clinton) and tackled a bevy of issues - some substantive, some petty.

Perhaps it is fitting that these two transcendent candidates would go the distance, giving everyone the chance to vote in meaningful primaries or caucuses. And maybe, just maybe, it will help, not hurt, the party.

It remains to be seen what Hillary Clinton’s next move will be. But Obama will now turn his full attention to GOP nominee John McCain and the general election.

Ideologically and personally, the two couldn’t be more different. Foreign policy, economics, housing woes, personal backgrounds and world views are all areas in which they disagree - and the differences aren’t subtle.

What will be the themes of the campaign going forward? Will the tone of the race be bitter or civil? Most importantly, how will it end?

Right now, this race is a toss-up. One that makes for great theater, but which underscores the dire urgency for a sweeping, substantive change.

The stakes higher than any election in history, and with all due respect to the career of Sen. McCain, only one man personifies the values, ideology and vision needed to move our country forward. His name is Obama.