US08 (as the BBC billed it)

[entropyjim]

I stayed up until Ohio was called for Obama. As my understanding went, no Republian has ever won without it. As I went to bed I was a little worried that it might be close and that a colony of lawyers would tie things up in knots

Comments

[glennkenobi]

There was dancing in the streets in 1997 and a million protesting in the streets by 2003, things can quickly go wrong... but there's a better chance that history will be kinder to Obama than his predessor.

[minus10]

I think there is a huge difference here and it has nothing to do with whether Obama delivers or not. This result shows all Americans that anyone can get to the White House regardless of racial background or gender.

It also sends a huge message to the rest of the world that America is capable of change on a scale that no one four years ago thought was possible.

I sat and watched the whole thing to after the Obama speech. In McCain's dignified and eloquent concession we saw the real man, unburdened of a campaign machine that changed turned him away from what he really was, back to the true servant he is; it was amazing.

And Obama's speech will be one of those that generations will talk about. I've not seen it's like since the wall came down.

[the0lady]

I don't see how you can say that a presidential race in which two women failed to get elected shows us that anyone can get into the White House regardless of gender, sorry.

(not that I'd be jumping for joy if Sarah Palin became VP - in fact, *shudder* - but the point stands)

[minus10]

The fact that Palin was on the ticket for the Republicans and Hilary was within a whisker of being the Democratic nominee tells me that we will see a woman as president. I'm not sure when it will happen but this *does* show that what were previously considered hard barriers such as race and gender are no longer the obstacle they were.

And don't forget, after the President of the USA, one of the most powerful people in the world, the head of the US State Department, Condoleezza Rice, is a woman.

It will happen and this makes it more likely to be sooner rather than later. Have more faith.

[grumpyolddog]

Perhaps you only get to see female Presidential nominees when they stop acting like Karl Rove (which counts out Mrs Palin and Mrs Clinton).