Stevens won in Alaska by a slim margin. Should we expect to see Sarah Palin to become Senator Palin. But Alaska is one state I'd look to find vote count, caging and disenfranchisement. It is obscene that Stevens is elected senator with 100,000 votes, less than most members of congress get.
Cindy Sheehan drew 17% of the vote, 29,951. She ran a courageous race. She's played a valuable role in bringing us to where we are today. We need her strong voice. Let's hope she rebounds with hope and strength to begin the next leg of her journey.
The vaunted magic 60 filibuster-proof senate is one failure that must be attributed to Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid. Watch them try to take credit for Obama's victory and all the other congressional victories. Don't foget that Schumer gave us Mukasey and the most right leaning members of the senate.
Rahm Emanuel-- they're talking about him being Obama's chief of staff. That will not be good news for progressives. Emanuel fought and defeated many progressive candidates who could have won primaries and elections. He financially and cloutwise supported centrist losers over the strong but underfunded grassroots progressives. He is a tough guy and Obama will need a tough, savvy, smart right and man or woman. It would be nice to see a woman in the chief of staff spot. Or maybe Bill Clinton? Just kidding. Who else would make a GREAT chief of staff?
The religious right was put in its place yesterday. If the Republican party learned anything, it is that America is sick and tired of right wing extremism. I expect to see a strong rise in progressive and centrist religious leaders.
Stats;
Obama won in a landslide, with a difference of over seven million votes and five percent, with, I project 364 electoral votes to McCain's 174.
This was a race won because of people under 65. The only age demographic McCain won was people over 64. Obama won the 18-29 vote 66 to 32 percent. This bodes extraordinarly well for the Democratic party.
This race was won because women voted for Obama 56 to 43 percent. And the split between men was almost even, but, for the first time in recent years, even men went more for Obama 49 to 48 percent. Men voted three to one for other candidates.
Race played a major role. Pull the black vote out of the gender demographics and things look very different. White men voted 57 to 41 for McCain. White women voted 53 to 46 for McCain or, over all, whites vote for McCain 55 to 43. Blacks voted 95% for Obama. Latinos voted 66 to 32 percent for Obama and support was almost that strong for all other races-- 63 to 33 percent.
Ironically, Obama won the majority-- 52 to 46% of those earning over $200,000 a year, but by one or two points, lost to people earning $50-$75K and $100 to $200K. I'm guessing these were blue collar workers and two worker families. It shows that the tired Republican pandering to people seeking the lowest taxes failed. For people making under $50K, Obama pulled 60 to 38% over McCain.
Independents went for Obama 52 to 44%. This will be his vulnerability. He must hold on to them if he wants to do the full eight years.
Ideology: 22% identified themselves as liberals, 44% as moderate and 34% as conservative. It is clear that liberals need to identify the issues that moderates care about and agree with if they want to build the strength to accomplish progressive goals-- environment, worker safety and fairness, social and ecological justice, sustainability put in practical, pragmatic economic terms.
Religion: All major religions supported Obama over McCain, except for protestants, which, one must assume, was made up primarily of Evangelicals. Numbers:
54% of voters were Protestant voting 45 to 54 Obama to McCain
27% of voters were Catholics voting 54 to 45% Obama to McCain
2% of voters were Jewish voting 78 to 21% Obama to McCain
6% of voters were Other, voting 73 to 22% Obama to McCain
11% of voters were None, voting 75 to 23% Obama to McCain
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