He came, he saw, he conquered. Well, sort of. President Barack Obama took the nation's attention for about 20 minutes tonight to deliver a speech about the end of America's military involvement in Iraq. Sitting in the Oval Office with pictures of his family in the background, President Obama effectively told America that the last eight years are over. He thanked the troops, thanked the American people and reminded the Iraqis that we still support them. He was being presidential, as he normally is.

The president worked to build bridges with Americans who disapprove of his performance. He mentioned how the high cost of the war reduced the nation's ability to sustain its middle class. He talked about how patriotic Americans both approved and disapproved of the war, and even mentioned an earlier conversation he'd recently had with President Bush. He also reminded the American people that by ending military operations in Iraq, he was keeping one of his most significant campaign promises.

Obama also brought up the non-financial cost of the war, consisting of the loss of life. Over 3,300 American troops have died since the Iraq war started and 30,000 were wounded. Another 50,000 troops will remain in Iraq to provide support for the country as it makes plans to move forward without a heavy U.S. presence.

To appease those who are concerned about the state of the U.S. economy, the president reiterated his commitment to making economic recovery his number one priority. Even during his speech on Iraq, the president couldn't ignore the current 9.5 percent unemployment rate in the United States. The White House has announced that it plans to take some of the funds being used to finance the war and redirect that money toward improving the economy.

The president handled his speech quite well. There were no gaffes, nothing was misspoken, and the only newsworthy part of the speech was the dominant theme of the talk, which is the end of the Iraq war. This is far different from the major press conference he did on health care last summer, which become the "Henry Louis Gates Show." In this case, the president remained focused on the message, and it was delivered with typical Obama efficiency.

The president's advisers are right to convince him to focus on the economy. Also, the end of the Iraq war represents the start of a new era in American history. During the height of the war, our economy was rolling in money (at least we thought it was), and American patriotism had reached ridiculous and McCarthyist levels. In fact, had Barack Obama (whom they are still suspecting of being a Muslim) tried to run for president in 2006, he wouldn't have even had a chance to be the Democratic nominee.

But times have changed. The call for financial extravagance has been replaced by demands for frugality. Overzealous anti-Muslim rhetoric has been replaced by.....well, we still have a great deal of that. But I hope you get my point. America is a different country now, and it's time to move to a new chapter in our political lives. One thing the Iraq war has taught us is that one bad president can ruin a decade.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.