FIFTY TWO PERCENT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE MADE ME EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE VOTE THEY CAST FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA
COMING OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, WITH THE WAR, THE RECESSION, ISOLATION OF THE U.S. FROM ITS FORMER INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS, THE CORRUPTION IN WASHINGTON AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY’S INSENSITIVITY TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY, I SEE NOTHING BUT GOOD WILL ON THE FOREIGN FRONT AND RESOLUTION DOMESTICALLY OF OUR CRITICAL PROBLEMS
I have never been so comforted by an election in modern times than I am with the election of Obama, the width and depth of victory and the image he has put of the face of this country.
My heart swelled with pride as I watched thousands of people come out into the streets not only of this nation, but nations around the world that celebrated the election of our new president. Chicago’s Grant Park was filled with several hundred thousand people who poured in to hear their Senator and new president-elect address the nation and the world.
There was dancing in the streets, not only in hundreds of cities in this country, but in cities the world over. In Georgia, where Russian troops and tanks still linger in their streets, thousands of Georgian people packed the center of the capital, Tbilisi, carrying a sign that said in bold letters, “AMERICA WE BELIEVE IN.”
It was almost as if the whole world was holding its breath until this brilliant, eloquent, and empowered man was finally selected as the new occupant of the White House.
Many people shared the anxiety I felt for the past few months that something, at the last minute, was going to happen, something that would influence the vote of the marginal supporters of Obama and sway the election outcome.
At about 10:00 pm when Pennsylvania, then Ohio, then Florida put him over the 270 Electoral College seats necessary to make his election victory final, I finally relaxed and realized that America, in fact, had voted for change, had turned the page on the Republican agenda and George W. Bush’s tragic administration and realized the nation was in critical condition and in the ICU unit fighting for its financial life.
This time there was not any major vote mix-ups in Florida, or Ohio as in 2000 and 2004, and no major deviation from the voting laws of any state to my knowledge.
We knew from massive increase in voter registrations, the huge number of young men and women who were involved in the election campaign itself and later came out to speak their mind through that precious ballot, that this time things were going to be different, change was going to come and America would be saved from the negligence of the ultra-right that have controlled this nation’s agenda for far too long.
Yes, the nation is humbled by an economic crisis more severe than anything we have seen since the Great Depression. Yes, we are still at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, our soldiers are still dying, although in fewer numbers than earlier, there still are families who are losing forever their sons, daughters, brother, sisters, aunts and uncles to a totally unwarranted war on one front and a completely neglected war on the other.
But in spite of all of the terrible news we see and hear everyday from the war, the stock market, the real estate demise, Obama brought a surge of hope that we had not witnessed in some time.
With the mean tenor of the campaign, I was fearful that some weak minded voters would listen to McCain and Palin and believe somehow that Obama was a Communist, a Muslim (which in this nation, should never matter), a Socialist, a celebrity, or a suit without substance.
There are some who, indeed, did believe these lies because they were not smart enough to put them to the test. While in the minority, these foolish, undereducated, indiscriminate voters make it tough on the intelligent voters who are sensitive to the real needs this country has accumulated over the years of inattention the Bush administration has left behind as its only legacy.
Never again will American seek a president who is just like the average man on the street. The best presidents are not those with whom voters would like to enjoy a beer. We do not nor can we afford average president. This country in this time of crisis needs extremely bright, far more talented than the average voters and people who can manage the tough journey that one must forage to make it to the world’s most powerful seat in the White House.
The big surprise to me was that Obama won every demographic. He won the suburbs by a margin of 50-48%, adults under age 45, college grads, and persons with some college. He overwhelming won the rapidly growing Hispanic population by an impressive 36 percentage points [67% for Obama-Biden to 31% for McCain-Palin]. He won white men that counted for 25% of the Bush vote in 2004 to 16% for McCain in 2008. He won white women who in 2004 in which 11% voted for Bush to 7% who voted for McCain.
Obama carried the white voters age 18-29 by 10 percentage points over McCain including the every increasing number of white college grads who have been moving to the Democratic Party in substantial numbers.
Our country’s expanding metro population is particularly potent for the Democrats in battleground states such as Colorado, Florida [Tampa and Orlando] Northern Virginia and the suburbs of the District of Columbia where their presence and their move to the Democrats are transforming these states from red to blue. Obama scored significantly on Tuesday with young people, white college graduates and minorities.
Cities and suburbs in the battleground states also played a major role in the Obama victory. Philadelphia, Columbus, Detroit are examples of a mix of young people, white college graduates and minorities who were behind the breathtaking victory for Barack Obama on November 4.
These voters were sold on the man and his message. They were fed up with the Republican brand of ineffective government including an over-simplistic message that only addressed taxes cuts, defense, and limited government year after year, election after election.
However, during the Bush years the tax reductions were limited only for the rich, a build-up in defense far beyond the security needs of the country, and contrary to the platform promises under Reagan, George H. W. and George W. Bush ended up as widely expanding government and massive deficits.
The Obama message clicked also for those same groups who reside in the formerly Republican states in the West. Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and, of course, California, Washington and Oregon responded to the change Obama promised and said in a loud crescendo “Yes we can, Yes we can1”
If Obama performs as magnificently as he has campaigned he will set the tone and the political agenda for decades to come.
5:55:28 PM 
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