Being grown up is cool again

President-elect Barack Obama will no doubt put his imprint on many things in this country, politically and culturally, but the first evidence of change that matters may come on the flat screens that unite this great nation: In a world of sustained post-adolescence, where teenagers swill martinis ("Gossip Girl") and head neurosurgeons live with multiple roommates ("Grey's Anatomy"), suddenly it's hip to be grown up again.

There are myriad reasons Obama won the presidential election, but watching him and his wife, Michelle, as they sat for their first post-election interview on "60 Minutes," it was difficult to avoid the aesthetics of the matter. The Obamas are the most telegenic First Couple in American history -- young, attractive, smart and utterly at ease in front of a camera. The Kennedys were posh and beautiful, George and Laura Bush projected Americana folksiness, but the Obamas combine glamour with a distinct air of social responsibility, something that isn't easy for anyone who wasn't the late, great Paul Newman.

More important, they seem, after two years on the campaign trail, to know their way around a high-def, YouTube world. The economic crisis may have given Obama an opportunity to shine, but it was Obama who chose instead to radiate: A commitment to change, yes, but also patience, steadiness and forbearance. Seriously, when was the last time a presidential candidate, much less one younger than 50, went with forbearance? During the debates, when pundits predicted rhetorical fireworks and all but demanded a little righteous anger, Obama fashioned instead an on-screen persona based on something that seemed alarmingly close to wisdom. His first few press conferences have only solidified the image. Although a bit looser now that he's won, the president-elect stays firmly, and naturally, in an almost Zen-like middle zone of emotions, offering calm assurance where others might choose more moment-of-glory proclamations.