Even just five years ago, it probably seemed very unlikely that a black person would ever become President of the United States. But in a landslide victory over Arizona Senator John McCain, Barack Obama has been elected the nation's 44th President.
In relative terms, two years feels ancient; yet that's the time it took president-elect Obama to climb the political ladder to become the first black presidential candidate and now, the first black Commander-in-Chief.
Was it a miracle? It depends on whom you ask and how you want them to answer.
Obama rode the backs of thousands of volunteers and millions of donors eager to see change in a country that had enough. In the process, he made promises and shattered expectations (both good and bad).
But looking back, what was the 2008 Presidential Election really about?
Were people simply fed up with George W. Bush? They had their shot in 2004, but I guess John Kerry wasn't a favorable alternative.
Were people sick of the Republican Party? Well, this is obvious, given Obama's victory coupled with the Democratic seat gains in the both the House of Representatives and Senate. But then that brings us back to the primary battle between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Wasn't all the negative sentiment toward a combination of President Bush and the GOP enough for Democrats to rally against one candidate? Why did it take so long? The truth is, that race was extremely close and revealed many of the lingering questions people had about what kind of direction they wanted the country to have. Chiefly, people had an idea that only one person fit the bill, and they were willing to fight (given that the primary was finally decided at the wire).
Surprisingly, that political enthusiasm extended far into the presidential race, which probably came down to character. Of the Obama supporters I know, there wasn't really bad blood between them and McCain. I guess people really believed Obama might be "the one" instead of "that one."
And this becomes the probable consequence of an Obama presidency: complacency.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Arch Conservative
"Americans should constantly and continually challenge the political establishment they have just shaken up."
Tan in what way does electing a representative of one of the two major parties that has been cornholing us for years constitute challenging and shaking up the political system?
It doesn't. A real shakeup would have been Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin or Ralph Nader.
We got the same pile of dung in a pretty new package last night.
2 - Dave Nalle
Don't you feel relieved, Arch. Now we don't have to defend Bush or McCain anymore. We can settle in and become true revolutionaries again, as the GOP has always been when at its best.
Dave
3 - Ruvy
I fear the consequences of this gentleman being elected president in the States go far beyond whether Americans will become complacent or not.
There is always the issue of whether he will be allowed to assume office, something which seems automatic now, but which may not be. Then, assuming he does assume office, there are the problems that an American government under his leadership will be expected to solve.
Demonstrations are great highs. I went to enough of them to know. Today, those who bought the Obama bottle of snake oil and drank deeply are feeling wonderful. But the highs of demonstrations do not solve systemic crises in the American economy, or deal with the serious mess that the Bush administration has left around the world. And believe me, the mess is bad.
These essential issues will require an article (or two) to look at, and writing in an internet cafe as I am right now, that is something I cannot do immediately.
But, since I, my neighbors, and my fellow countrymen will be affected directly by this election, even though we live a third of a world away, trust that I'll have something to say.
4 - Glenn Contrarian
Dave -
I gotta agree with you. That's the beauty of the First Amendment - the right to argue till we're blue in the face, to shout from the rooftops, to gleefully point out the hypocrisy of those we oppose and decry the injustices committed by those in power.
Like it or not, we need the Republicans...just as you need us. We need you to keep us honest...and hopefully, when the wheel turns and the Republicans are once more in power, we can do a better job keeping you honest than we did for the past eight years.
5 - Dave Nalle
Sad commentary, Glenn. The truth is that renegade republicans did more to hold Bush accountable than most Democrats did, and when Democrats did object they picked the wrong issues and did more harm than good.
It's time for the positive elements of the GOP to shed the deadwood and move on.
Dave
6 - Glenn Contrarian
Dave -
Sheesh! Try to be nice, try to reach across the aisle, and what does it get me?
Okay, WHAT, exactly, did 'renegade Republicans' do to hold Bush accountable? I know what DID happen to those Republican appointees who tried to speak up - they were made examples of in order to keep the rest in line.
IMO the greatest failure was on the part of the press, on their failure to show the same courage that Murrow had in the McCarthy era which had so many parallels to the Bush 43 era.
7 - Arch Conservative
Dave in case you haven't noticed I haven't felt compelled to defend Bush, McCain or any other GOP player in a long time.
I voted for Chuck Baldwin. If Obama turns out to be another Carter and the GOP runs someone halfway decent in 2012 I will probably vote for the GOP candidate but if both parties continue to pursue their own partisan interests for the next four years at the expense of the public I will most likely vote third party again.
Glenn why do you want to keep walking down the aisle when it smells like shit on both sides of the aisle? Do you honestly think that Obama is going to solve everyone's problems as his minions have said he will?
8 - bliffle
Can we trade Archie away and get Moon back?
They're both partisan and exclamatory, but Moon is a much better writer.
9 - Christopher Rose
Actually Archie is taking a one month holiday.
10 - Glenn Contrarian
Arch -
Obama's not a panacea - none of us ever thought he was.
But he can restore America's image in the world, just as Reagan did a generation before - but to an even greater extent.
Just look at the reaction of people all across the world, how they are reacting to Obama's election. "America's back!" "Bigger than the moon landing!" "The first truly global president!"
These aren't my words - I'm just too lazy to track down the page right now, got it off brietbart.com - these are from those who will look once more to America for leadership.
Yes, you et al are bitter. We were bitter in 2004, but the wheel turned and now it's your turn. But can you at least for now try to follow McCain's advice to support President-elect Obama?
11 - Lee Richards
Dave says the GOP must shed the deadwood and move on, and he is entirely correct.
The reason they haven't until now is that they were seduced by that 'deadwood' which was part of a coalition that helped them win big.
The GOP won't be winning much any time soon unless they can find ways to win over African-Americans, women, Latinos, and young voters.
That means getting over the anger, bitterness, divisiveness and self-righteousness they have fed on since Roe v. Wade. No more Falwells, Robertsons, Limbaughs, Dobsons or Coulters as anti-cultural heroes and avatars, no more McCarthy-like guilt by association attacks, no more demonizing moderates or those to the left of Reagan.
Republicans at their best are fiscal conservatives and liberal thinkers, wanting always to limit government control over and interference with individual freedoms and rights. They are Americans first, and stand with all other Americans against any who would divide us.
The recent GOP has been a far cry from those principles, veering out of control to the gutter on the right. If that far-right fringe--deadwood--continues to set the GOP agenda and choose its candidates, the Party is usually going to be on the losing side of the demographics come election time.
And deservedly so.
12 - Zedd
Dave
"We can settle in and become true revolutionaries again"
When in your voting lifetime did that happen. If you are talking about Reagan, he started this mess.
13 - Clavos
If you are talking about Reagan, he started this mess.
Read Glenn's #10 on that point.
14 - Cannonshop
"Shaken" what establishment, exactly??
This election Re-Affirmed the Establishment by placing one of its favoured sons in the white-house. It reaffirmed that with enough money, and the support of the establishment media, a son of the Chicago Political Machine can be turned into the "Popular" choice.
Advertising, party loyalty...all reaffirmed.
15 - bliffle
Grasping at straws, Cannon?
That's a pretty convoluted excuse for a backhanded slap at Obama.
Is this going to be the basis of the new rightist slanders of Obama? That he's from Chicago?
The ghost of Joe McCarthy stalks the land.
16 - Glenn Contrarian
Y'know, check out the newest Newsweek -
It turns out Sarah Palin not only did not know what countries were involved in NAFTA, but also did not know all the countries in North America...and also did not know that Africa was a CONTINENT rather than a single country, as can be seen on the clip of O'Reilly talking to the Faux News Chief Political Correspondent.
Yeah, Arch - your boys REALLY know how to vet someone to have their fingers on the nuclear button....
17 - Clavos
Pssst, Glenn:
You won. It's over.
Get to work and start planning how you'll fix things come January; you don't have to demonize Sarah Palin, anymore, y'all did a great job of that during the campaign.
Y'all have the reins now. Get the fuck to work.
18 - Ruvy
This is going to be fun Clavos.
For the whole time I've posted here either as a comenter or as a writer, the "liberals" or "leftists" have been tearing apart the Bush administration. Not that they didn't deserve to be torn apart. They most assuredly did.
But now the shoe will be on the other foot. Lisa Warren has arrived here just in time to discover what a bitch it can be to defend an incumbent. Same for Mark Schannon, who appears to have awakened just in time.
Are there any other "liberals" around here? Oh, yeah, there's Jet and Cindy.
And me?
Good old socialist Ruvy is going to have a good time watching as the US of A tries to dig itself out of the grave Bush has dug so deep for the lot of you....
Oh, remember; it's not a done deal for Obama until he stands up on 20 January, puts his hands on a
Qur'anBible and takes the oath of office. That's when the fat lady sings and when you can light up your victory cigars. That's over two months away, and two months ia a very long time in politics.19 - Les Slater
"'America's back!' 'Bigger than the moon landing!' 'The first truly global president!'"
I’ve been saying that the ruling class would prefer Hillary Clinton to Barak Obama since fairly early in the primaries because the expectations raised by Obama would be a problem. The New York Times goes into that a little with Obama Aides Tamp Down Expectations
20 - Marcia Neil
The University of Kentucky has apparently hosted a bid to legitimatize the use of effigies as dolls, post-dating a use of statuary to represent significant figures.
21 - Glenn Contrarian
Clavos -
The POINT of my post was not to 'demonize' Sarah Palin. The POINT was to show how close we came to having someone so ignorant - not stupid, but ignorant - in the White House.
Clavos, if you do not learn the lessons of the failures of the past - even the past of last week - then you are doomed to repeat those failures in the future. It is CRUCIAL to analyze any major event after that event is done, so that one can learn the good and bad lessons therein.
Bush was intellectually incurious, and so was McCain and especially Palin. The Republicans should LEARN from this and hold their candidates to a higher educational standard in the future.
That said, PALIN for the Republicans IN '12! I do so hope she's your nominee....
22 - Lisa Solod Warren
Actually I think Palin did quite a good job of demonizing herself with little help.
And I doubt that Cindy, Mark S, Jet and I are the only progressives posting here... If that were true, then this would be a sad site. Let's see, I count Dawn and Heloise and Jordan --who may be foreign but provides true balance-- and Baritone, and ...(gee, I feel like I'm on Romper Room for those of you old enough to remember that) and several others who are far more "fair and balanced" than Dave and Clav for example or Ruvy who has an ax to grind re Obama and Israel... We shall see.
23 - Clavos
Actually I think Palin did quite a good job of demonizing herself with little help.
But help she had, and to spare...
24 - Glenn Contrarian
Les -
Again, those words were not mine. I was only posting what much of the rest of the world is feeling...and the opportunity Obama has to be a true world leader.
And I agree wholeheartedly that the world's expectations for Obama have been set almost impossibly high...
...but we'll see, won't we? After all, 'impossible' is only such until proven otherwise....
25 - Clavos
It is CRUCIAL to analyze any major event after that event is done, so that one can learn the good and bad lessons therein.
Thanks Prof! I love to be "taught" by "progressives." (sounds SO much better than "liberal" doesn't it?)
The POINT was to show how close we came to having someone so ignorant - not stupid, but ignorant - in the White House.
Oh, wow! Good one! Nobody ever caught that before!
Where's the "ANALYSIS" in your #16?
Looks more like gratuitous, gleeful gloating to me.
You made no new point, introduced no new idea.
"Analysis?" "Lessons?"
Horseshit, Glenn.