Wednesday, November 05, 2008
"Change has come to America"
Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States of America, Nov 4th being the historical day.
What an election, I would say. Never had I imagined that a black man could become the president of the world's most powerful nation, a nation plagued by accusations of racial discimination and tension.
But today Obama defied all odds and defeated McCain. But it is not just because he won, but rather it is the magnitude of his winning that amazes me.
Obama won California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
McCain had Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. He also won at least 3 of Nebraska's five electoral votes, with the other two in doubt.
Many of the states that Obama won used to be a Republican stronghold, like Indiana and Virginia, which hadn't supported the Democratic candidate in 44 years. Ohio and Florida, key to President Bush's twin victories, also went for Obama, as did Pennsylvania, which McCain had deemed crucial for his election hopes. Places that whites ruled and minorities were well... minorities. The change can only represent ne thing - more acceptance and less discrimination.
Of course, there were still many mid-west and southern states that voted for McCain. There is a particular Youtube video about white voters in Oklahoma making racial comments about Obama. Disgusting.
Obama faces a staggering list of problems, that he called "the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century." He spoke of parents who worry about paying their mortgages and medical bills.
"There will be setbacks and false starts," Obama said. "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem."
"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep," Obama cautioned.