An Obama Victory

I think the resounding election results bring multiple trends into perspective. From my studies as a college student in the political science department to my own reading, events such as last Tuesday only happen once every couple of decades, if not a century.

Three major trends converged on one night to redirect the course of the country and the nature of the political discourse. 

1. Most obviously, the Presidential election served as a referendum on the past eight years of Republican leadership. As profound as the Obama movement was, voters clearly sent two messages; first was dissatisfaction, second was satisfaction.

2. The imagery of the newly crowned African-America first family was as powerful as it gets in this country. Set aside Jesse Jackson's self centered antics, the emotional response from all Americans was palpable. As if in one cathartic night we've put history in the past. Not to say future struggles are vanquished, but rather to say, this is a dynamic place and if you work hard enough and are blessed with the providence of timing all things are possible. 

3. The desire for center-left policies is large and growing. We are by nature a 51-49% country and that will not change, but the composition of that simple majority is changing. Free and unregulated markets scare people, private enterprise can't provide for the needs of all citizens,  people still look towards government for leadership and inspiration, and we no longer want to go it alone abroad.

Over the next days I would like to get into each of the trends more in depth, but for the time being, suffice it to say Tuesday November 4, 2008 was a defining moment in American history.