A fantastic result, and a fantastic moment for people of mixed race throughout the world!

Even the most entrenched attitudes CAN change.

God Bless America!

Congratulations Senator.

Stop being so goddamn cynical you lot. I”ve lost my voice from all the screaming….. its time to rest.

Well apart from the notes of caution over the challenges Obama now faces (more over at my gaffe) I think the general discussion we now need to be having (well, its one I am trying to get my party to have at the very least) is what do we do from here?? This is especially relevant given the fact that the ever loveable Mr Cameron has hopped straight on the bandwagon….

But those bloody Californians voted in Proposition 8. I’m going to burn one star off the flag…

Someone on radio 4 this morning compared Obama to a dog which is always chasing cars and suddenly has actually caught one: WTF does he do now? The whole effort has been in the chase.

An entertaining analogy and Justin’s comment is apt.

Once Sunny’s voice is back, he’ll be asking the same question as the rest of us.

Although “thank you America” sounds rather patronising, in *symbolic* terms I am as pleased as anyone.
In *policy* terms I am just as much in the dark.

I do love the BBC though.
President Obama – don’t worry about the (missing) manifesto – it’s all in the hope for change.
Meanwhile, back here, they will be screaming for Cameronian specifics.

But those bloody Californians voted in Proposition 8. I’m going to burn one star off the flag…

I know, just looking for someone to post about it.

cjcjc,

I think we can be as “patronising” as we like. The bastards gave us Bush. Twice!

Will do a round up in a bit….

Cheers Unity. )

A lot more people will end up where Justin is in a couple of years. And to some that will be a relief: it makes it easy again. The Bush years have been easy. The Tory years were easy. But what, could be more deeply conservative than to be afraid to hope; to be afraid to act and join the fray. Its fine for those who have an alternative project; otherwise this doesn’t deserve to be called politics at all, just the arid politics of self-projection.

Yes, I can tell you now that Obama will disappoint. Politics will always disappoint, not just because it takes place in the real world, because the essence of politics is deliberation, negotiation and compromise with other people, who don’t always simply agree with everything we want.

So one of the great questions is what happens to Obama’s movement on the day after the election, or the inauguration. How much change, how much progress and how much disappointment depends on what they want to do in the next four years. He has shown an organisational capacity which he will want to maintain. Otherwise, in two and four years, he would be politics as usual again.

So what you call bullshit – political rhetoric – is one way to inspire, to mobilise, to persuade people to change the boundaries of what is politically possible. This was one of the key debates of the primaries – about the “just words” debate between Obama and Clinton. To campaign in poetry but govern in prose is better than to move expectations downwards at the start and campaign in prose too. Yes, people may project contradictory things. But a winning movement must be compromised of people who agree on a few big things, and may disagree on many other things, and yet who can work together too where they may not agree.

The ideal of unity, one nation .. yes, this isn’t true. But it calls his patriotic opponents on their deep partisanship. And so it is part of a strategy to try to make it more true. This piece by Mark Schmitt as the primaries began is perhaps the best piece about that
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_theory_of_change_primary

Aaron

Have just done a brief post on Proposition 8 with a couple of links. You’re welcome to use or cross-post it, (though you may well want something more substantive than that)
http://www.nextleft.org/2008/11/amidst-joy-civil-rights-defeat.html

“Even the most entrenched attitudes CAN change.”

Well…not really. The most entrenched attitudes have stayed the same. The only thing this election has shown is that the independent/swing vote is larger than perhaps we have been jaded in to believing. Unfortunately the bigotry, racism and homophobia is … from my view … as entrenched as ever and the rate of that entrenchment decaying is not speeding up yet.

Thanks Sunder, but Unity’s already blogged it.

What a great night. Now it’s all to do.

My only criticism of the media coverage is not enough shots of gutted Republicans

My only criticism of the media coverage is not enough shots of gutted Republicans

Never mind, at least you can read them…

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/11/04/the-one-ascends/
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/11/president-fraud.html

And – the one we’ve all been waiting for…

http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/2576106/freedom-now-stands-alone.thtml

No human can bear the back-breaking load of deluded expectation laid on Obama’s shoulders. Sooner or later this strange, mass self-deception will come into cold contact with the real world. People have not realized yet that Obama has actually very little real power to control events anyway. The real ‘change’ which is coming is the type that nobody wants; a fatally weakened America, humiliated after Iraq and a debtor nation to China, it will take a few years for the reality to sink in. Then there will be disappointment even deeper than the hope that bred it. Covert racism will continue between blacks and Hispanics as much as with whites. The black work ethic and the black family have been completely undermined so the position of African Americans, which hasn’t really changed in the last 20 years, will not change much in the next 20. A large reduction in the unnecessary and destructively high levels of immigration would be the best thing that could happen for race-relations in the US. Of course Obama (or McCain) hasn’t the slightest interest in doing this which is why American society will become increasingly fraught with racial tension, social mistrust and a declining quality of life. The simple fact of a black president will not be enough to save America from an unhappy future.

Lee

“the bigotry, racism and homophobia is … from my view … as entrenched as ever”

You just can not mean “as ever” …

Was recently reading some of Robert Caro’s brilliant epic biography of LBJ, and the long battle over getting any legislation through the southern senate block veto. There have been enormous – but incomplete – changes, in just half a lifetime.

Gay rights are in a very different position not just from 50 years ago, but from 25 and 10 years ago. Especially here in the UK, where nobody more significant than the stagecoach guy even tried to seriously contest the scrapping of section 28, civil partnerships. Who would have thought that could be won, almost without a battle at the end. But also in the US, despite the California vote. (Would it have been close in 1988?)

There are struggles and battles that remain – but we do win some (and many) of them. We have to recognise that change happens, to ensure change keeps happening.

Relive a little piece of history below. Thanks for the efforts made on the Liveblogging – interesting idea.
http://tinyurl.com/5cuosx

Just call North Carolina and Missouri!

Aaron, as you know, I reside in one of the reddest states in the US. You have no idea how proud I am that Indiana actually went for Obama. The last time Indiana went for a Democratic candidate for President was for LBJ back in ‘64. I’m still contemplating how I will address this historic election back at LOC, but I should have something ready later today. After eight years of the Bush regime, it will be an invigorating change of pace. I still want the rest of the world to know that many Americans are ashamed of what our nation became under Bush 43. I hope everyone gives us a chance to set thing right and won’t hold all US citizens responsible. Most of us are good people with a deep desire for friendship all around this big blue marble we all share space on.

Now, allow me to wipe this perpetual grin from my face and try to get my feet back on the ground after last night.

While I agree to some extent with those who counsel grumpy scepticism, I think that a lot of the British comment I”ve seen supporting Obama seems to place too much emphasis on the rhetoric and the aspiration, and not on some of the smaller but more substantial points in his favour.

This is one of the blog posts that nudges me towards cautious optimism, albeit with reservations:
http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/02/obama-actually.html
(longish, but well worth reading for those who haven;t done so already)

Basically, some bastards are better than others, and some bastards’ bullshit is better than other bastards’ bullshit (as Morrissey’s first draft might have gone)

Robert Rouse,

Sorry I didn’t see your comment before now – thanks for dropping by!

And yeah congratulations. I’m not sure Obama could have done it without your busy photoshopping! ;o)

It’s amazing that Indiana turned blue.

You’re always welcome here. Friend.