History was made yesterday when American voters elected Democrat Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America.
“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer,” Obama said at his victory celebration in Chicago.
Riding a wave of early voter support from the East Coast, Obama jumped out to a lead and never looked back. As news stations and media groups called states, as the electoral college votes were predicted and tallied, it became clear that Obama’s rival, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was not going to be able to accumulate the 270 votes needed for election. McCain called Obama and conceded defeat at approximately 11 p.m. EST
“I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain,” Obama said. “He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves.”
Despite McCain’s campaign efforts, Obama was able to secure the electoral votes of several states that traditionally vote Republican. In Virginia, a state that had not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, 1,740,478 voters chose Obama, according the Virginia State Board of Elections Web site with 2,448 of 2,496 precincts reporting, allowing the future president to edge McCain by a close margin in the popular vote. In other states traditionally won by the Republican Party, such as Indiana and Montana, Obama, at the very least, made headway, said Dan Keyserling, deputy director of communications for the University Center for Politics.
“I think you can attribute [Obama’s victory] to a combination of things,” Keyserling, a former Cavalier Daily executive editor, said. “It was destined to be a good year for Democrats ... and I think any analyst could argue that Obama ran what is the greatest political campaign in history.”
Keyserling noted that Obama’s campaign not only excelled in its scope and scale but also in its precision and courage. He said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe and chief strategist David Axelrod envisioned a new electoral map, adding that the campaign then managed to implement its strategy without spreading itself too thin in an effort to pick up additional states. Moreover, Obama used a massive fundraising campaign, new media and the Internet to a decided advantage, Keyserling said.
“They honed in on a theme and maintained it throughout the election,” Keyserling said, noting that though any Democratic candidate had the potential to win the election this year, only Obama and his team had the ability to win by a landslide margin.
Keyserling also reiterated the historic nature of Obama’s campaign, a nature similarly picked up and highlighted not only by media networks but also by McCain in his concession speech.
“This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight,” McCain noted. “I’ve always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that too.”
In keeping with that American ideal, Obama’s personal story resonated with voters, Keyserling said, adding that it especially did so among minority and youth voters.
“Everybody talked about the youth vote in this election,” Keyserling said. “I wouldn’t call it a deciding factor, but perhaps an influencing factor ... What I saw was that the youth enthusiasm for Obama was contagious and it affected older people who saw the young people say, ‘This guy inspires me.’”
In the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, that enthusiasm for Obama was reflected in the polls, as the Democratic candidate won handily in both areas. And at a celebration for fellow Democrat and potential future Rep. Tom Perriello, R-Charlottesville, in downtown Charlottesville, state senator and 2009 gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds told a crowd that “We’ve elected a president tonight that’s going to bring real change to this country.”
Obama himself, in his victory speech, said just he will strive to do just that, but he acknowledged that the road ahead could be fraught with difficulty.
“The road ahead will be long,” the next president said. “Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you: We as a people will get there.”
Several students at a viewing party held in Newcomb Hall last night commented that they were excited to see Obama win.
Marvin Richards, a first year College student and member of Hoos for Obama, noted that he was not only amazed and in disbelief over Obama’s win, but that he was excited to see the end result of his effort in Obama’s campaign.
“Personally, it feels really rewarding to know that my work, and that other people’s work has paid off,” he said.
Many Americans, though, believe McCain would have been a better choice to follow current President George W. Bush.
Janet Mease, office services supervisor of Spotsylvania County Health Department and a self-described fan of Virginia’s Republican base, said at an Election Day event for House candidate Virgil Goode that she was sad to see McCain fall.
“It seems like Obama is going to be the winner and I hope that he is going to do what he has said he was going to do for us to make it a better country to live in,” Mease said, noting that McCain “served the country with honor, with a military background, [and] I just think that the American people should have been behind him.”
Likewise, Mary-Lou Gibson, also a Republican supporter at Goode’s event, said she is disappointed with the election results.
“I think it’s going to be tough,” Gibson said. “Things are going to be different – it is really kind of scary not knowing what is going to happen.”
Obama, too, admitted that not everyone will agree with his decisions while in office. He said, though, that he will strive to listen to citizens and be honest with them whenever he can.
“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other,” Obama said. “Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers — in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.”
Keyserling, however, also cautioned against treating Obama as a savior. “He’s human,” Keyserling noted, saying that Obama will face both the normal challenges of assembling an administration and delivering on the tremendous expectations placed upon him by the electorate yesterday.
“He was basically crowned the prince of the 21st century,” Keyserling said. “It doesn’t get much more elevated than that. People are going to expect him to revolutionize the world.”
In that regard, Obama will be aided by Democratic gains in the House and the Senate, Keyserling said. Still, the expectations are tremendous, perhaps unrealistic.
“If Obama fails to walk on water, he will have let them down,” Keyserling said. “But Obama will also enter the presidency with a political mandate like no other before him.”
But as McCain noted at the end of his concession speech, America and its next president may be up to the challenges ahead.
“Americans never quit,” McCain said. “We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.”
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