There was something for everyone in President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech, which was a stirring step toward the post-partisan promises his administration has vowed to fulfill. In these critical times, a united government is an absolute for progress.

Obama wisely called for an end to “worn out dogmas” that “strangle our politics” and to cease “protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions.” After the partisan divisiveness of the past administration, these pledges are a refreshing change of viewpoint.

Making them reality, though, falls squarely on Obama’s shoulders. Given strong Democratic majorities in Congress, reaching across the aisle is not an unpleasant political need for the administration, but rather comes at its discretion.

For this reason, bipartisanship could melt into buzzword. Democrats were but Tom Allen away from filibuster-proof control of the executive and legislative branches, following two terms of perhaps the most party-line administration in modern American history.

The instinct to dominate, instead of legislate, will run strong. Obama must make his directive of open, collaborative governance spill from his Oval Office to cascade over the multitude of Democratic senators, representatives, staffers, interns and pages who now run Washington.

The last eight years have illustrated problems that come from putting ideology first. In his speech, Obama promised to end that shortsighted model of leadership and embrace a new era that repudiates this attitude, in favor of the most pragmatic approach.

A partisan steamroller is not what the American people elected president. Of his campaign promises, getting past political rancor in Washington is the one Obama needs to fulfill most.

It is also the one that he alone is most responsible for achieving.