Yes We Did! But There Is a Lot More to Do

I am truly moved by the historic nature of Barack Obama's victory. And I fully understand the need for his supporters to celebrate. After months of hoping, waiting and fearing the worst, Obama's win was like a giant catharsis. A communal breath of relief.

But let us not linger too long on his triumph. Because if an Obama presidency is not successful, much of what was gained will be lost. And quickly. The last thing we need is another Jimmy Carter (which brought us Ronald Reagan), and Obama may not have the time to rebound after a tentative start, like Bill Clinton did early in his first term. The election is not the end of this journey. In fact, it's close to the beginning. Obama has not hit a home run; he has merely earned the right to step into the batter's box.

First, though, we should absolutely pause for a moment to recognize and take pride in what has occurred. It is monumental that the United States has elected an African American to be president. Given that racism is still felt in so many aspects of our society, that mere fact alone is worthy of celebration. But what I find exceptionally gratifying and moving is that the country turned to a black candidate because it wanted a smart, unifying, transcendent leader. Race took a back seat to excellence. It was an important step for the U.S. to take.

Equally exciting to me is that the American electorate rejected negative smear tactics and a campaign of fear to elect a candidate who had demonstrated that he was competent, smart, thoughtful, forward-thinking and a man of big ideas. For the last eight years, we have endured the polar opposite. George W. Bush ruled by fear, scaring Americans into accepting what he wanted. He was a beacon of anti-intellectualism and shallow thought. And competence was a dirty word in the Bush administration, forever personified by the president's compliment, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," when the head of FEMA, who was totally unqualified for the position, completely dropped the ball as death and destruction were allowed to rage in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

In this election, the citizens of this country reached a point where they were not going to accept another campaign of fear and smears. No amount of talk about Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright, or accusations that Obama was a socialist and a friend of terrorists, or the not-so-subtle hints about "real" Americans and "pro-America" parts of the country, would sway voters from choosing the candidate they felt was the better man for the job. And this is something of which we should all be proud.

So rejoice fellow Obama supporters. Take in this moment. Feel the pride and the hope and the optimism. It's all well deserved.

But eventually, and soon, we have to move on. Because tremendous challenges await the Obama administration (how cool is it to write that?!?), and failure is not an option, not if the Democrats want to hold onto power. Again, if Obama turns out to be as unsuccessful as Carter was in addressing the nation's woes, what, other than the symbolic breaking of a barrier, has been accomplished?

Obama will take office facing a mountain of problems that are, in aggregate, far worse than those faced by Carter: an economy in recession, reeling financial markets, a broken military, two wars, an energy crisis, the need to overhaul the nation's health care system, the spiraling cost of Medicare and Social Security, and a huge deficit that will limit the resources available to address all of these problems.

And Obama will have to act with an angry, bitter, very conservative minority in Congress waiting for him to fail and committed to do what it can to see that he does. Remember, with the Democrats mustering only 56 Senate seats (if you include Joe Lieberman, plus Jeff Merkley and/or Mark Begich if either prevails in their late-running races), the party is far from securing the 60 votes it needs to bring legislation to a vote. That means it takes only 41 Republicans to block anything from getting done in the chamber.

If you think the Republicans have been humbled by the drubbing the party took, consider that House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio (a state Obama won) said yesterday: "Democrats would be making a big mistake if they viewed these results as a repudiation of conservatism or a mandate for big government." Boehner also said that Obama "has sketched a troubling policy road map that will be run through a Congress that was purchased by powerful liberal special interests." Without filibuster power, House Republicans won't be able to do much to block Obama's plans, but Boehner's bellicose words, which are, frankly, shocking in light of the country's repudiation of Republicans in the election, illustrate the kind of nearly irrational hostility the new president will have to face from the GOP.

And when you consider the election as a whole and look beyond Obama's win, there are some disturbing signs that the Democrats will be at great risk of losing power in 2010 if they don't start solving some of the country's problems very soon. Consider that 2008 was a perfect storm rushing at the Republicans: a despised Republican president was in office, an economic crisis hit less than two months before the election, the country was engaged in an unpopular war, and Democrats experienced record turnout (including African Americans and young people).

It would be hard to conceive of a set of circumstances, short of a Watergate-like scandal, that would be worse for the Republicans. And yet, in the end, they did better than they ever could have hoped. While Obama's victory was solid, he only bested McCain by six percentage points. While gains were made in the Senate, the Democrats failed to capture any of the three vulnerable deep red states in play (Kentucky, Georgia and Mississippi), prospects look bleak for a victory in blue Minnesota, and there is no guarantee of winning in blue Oregon. Even in the House, where seats were picked up (we don't know for sure how many yet), it looks like the total will be on the low end of the expected range, and several Democratic incumbents actually lost, including one in Louisiana who earlier this year won a special election to gain the seat in a predominantly Republican district.

My point is that, even with an extremely favorable situation in place, the Democrats' gains were relatively modest. It would not take much of a turnaround for these swing House districts to swing back to the GOP, and for the Senate races to be less hospitable to Democrats than they were in 2008. And in 2010, the party will not be able to count on the historic turnout that came with Obama's run for the presidency.

Which is why the journey is not over with Obama's election. It is essential that the Democrats take a smart and bold path to make the lives of middle and working class Americans better. If the party can succeed in this regard, the 2010 doomsday scenario will never occur. Bold options have to be considered, such as the Green New Deal Van Jones has talked about. Jones argues that investing in green energy production as both an economic stimulus and a way to address the country's crippling energy problems can ensure that Obama does not meet the same fate as Carter. (Jones wrote an article in the latest issue of The Nation about building a coalition to make a Green New Deal a reality.) Whatever path Obama and the Democrats take, they have to put the United States on a path to recovery.

As excited as I am about Obama's big win, I can't help worrying about what comes next. If he handles the presidency as deftly and assuredly as he ran his campaign, we have nothing to worry about. Let's hope the Democrats are able to start getting the job done in the next two years. The legacy of this election depends on it.

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential election

Comments

[Shrinath]

There would be no point in agonizing over what will come now. Measure what he has to achieve. The President Elect Obama ( damn that sounds good, and come 20/1 it will President :D) has to first choose a team. As I type this, the new commissioner to EU, is wondering extremely loud on BBC whether it will be protectionist government. Some well regarded journalists from The Hindu (thehindu.com) have clearly noted that the Democrats have never been fair as far as dealing with India is concerned. Similarly, the expectations in the Middle East is for a unilateral end to war in Iraq. Israel is left wondering about its clout in the White House.

With such monumental expectations, President Elect Obama has to first and foremost address the domestic issues. Rather than viewing it through the narrow prism of won congressional seats and the gains that might be lost, it is imperative to get the economy back on track. While doing that, he has to figure out a way to bring home the troops.

Let us rejoice that first. And pray for a safer tomorrow. The rest will follow. Cheerio!

[cruisepuppy7452a]

As far as the gay marriage issue, I see it this way. Who are we to judge what is right or wrong for other people? When did anyone make us judge an jury over what others may do in thier bedrooms and homes? As a straight female I am sick and tired of watching hypocrites back priests who protect child mollesters, rapists, but treat this as if its a federal crime. If gays want to marry and it works for them, what is the damn issue here? Let them be as miserable as the rest of the world, do thier thing and leave them the hell alone. I hope this law is repealed, to teach us and make us see this is a cave in to t he organized religious groups and nothing more. Not sure about the rest of you all, but frankly I think you have too much time on your hands to worry about what goes on in people's bedrooms. Pay attention to your own back yards as I see a lot of messed up kids out there that need you.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

The American people proved that when we set our minds to it, we can overcome great odds. We did that by electing Barack. Now its up to us again to allow him to do the multiple jobs he has at hand, to unravel the mess Bush created. Its not going to happen over night, as it took 8 years to fester. Anyone who thinks he can fix this mess in a year is unrealistic.
The good news is this, the world will know and recognize we have a leader once again. We have the ability to use logic and repair the many wrongs Bush caused, prosecute those who incited war crimes, illegal attacks, regain our place in the world. But we also have to be realistic, we will always have enemies, the difference is now in how we choose to handle them, not go to war for wrong reasons, but only if we have no other choice. Our troops will come home, get the help they need, those that died, get the honors so deserved. Its a new beginning And its beautiful.

[dianhow]

Right on !! I just want us to give Obama enough time. It will take years to undo some of the incredible messes of the Bush / Cheney years. He can start us in the right direction..but 8 years of lies,deceit and arrogance ( bring em on ) will take a while to rid ourselves of. So..Let us be patient.

[anicca]

Very well said. We still choose to be in other people's business, it's always easier to look to others than acknowledging that we are the source of all our problems.

The big question I have is "how much are Americans willing to give up to climb out of the hole we find ourselves in". With the exception of the poor, we have been on a spending spree that makes Sarah Palin's shopping trip to Nieman Marcus seem like a trip to the corner 7/11. We've been living way beyond our means - it's time to pay the piper. We are suffering from the greatest hangover imaginable, the result of the largest binge in history. (Course I have no personal experience of the Fall of Rome). Our "discretionary" income will have to be directed to paying off our personal and the national debts. It's all good.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

I am extremely thankful I have access to the internet. Like the American military it allows me to travel the world, I just don't need to purchase a plane ticket.

I am limited income so I purchase internet instead of PayTV (cable or firos). Reading these blogs, I am spending my money and receiving full value for internet access. People stating what is in their heart and on their mind is much more interesting.

[SouthTexasDEM]

he's right, it's not enough for us to vote for change, now we must embody it. Barack Obama is merely the catalyst. That campaign has shown us all what Americans are capable of. He said it best when he said the America's greatness lies not in the might of our arms, but in the power of our ideals. What makes America great is our ability to change and reinvent ourselves. So as much as Obama can inspire, it is up to us to make this country great.

"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults."-Alexis de Tocqueville

[beachfan]

We finally did it! But now comes a time when immediate action needs to be taken! These last few elections have been very polarizing and difficult for our nation. They have caused serious riffs in our society and discontent in our family. Not only that but we as a nation have a huge mountain to climb to get out of this mess the previous administration has gotten us in, too huge of a mess for our new President to fix in one term. Plus he is going to have to make decisions and moves that may not be what everybody sees to be "politicaly" correct at the time but will pay off in the end. So therefor I prepose that the new congress and President make an emergency bill on January 21 to eleminate the Presidential term of only 4 years to allow President Obama the freedom to due what he needs to due to get this country back on its feet without fear of having to worry about re-election, and plus it may take more than 8 years anyway. We need to fully support our new President during these troubled times!!

[SouthTexasDEM]

We've had enough rewriting of the constitution with Bush, we don't need more of that. And it would take more than just a bill, it would take a constitutional amendment to repeal the 22nd amendment of our beloved constitution. Instead of supporting the president unconditionally, that's what got us in this mess in the first place, let's support the spirit of the ideals with which he was elected. I said before and I'll say it again, change begins with us.

[bannorhill]

Mitchell

Obama won and McCain lost. I hope for both our sakes he is not as radical with his new programs and spending as I thought. He won because he did a better job connecting to the younger voters.

May his administration pull the country together and make it stronger

I have enjoyed our spirited debates and my prayers are woth Obama our next President. His chalenges are many.

Bannorhill

[Mitchell Bard - Huffpost Blogger]

See Mitchell Bard's Profile

Yes, bannorhill, we can agree on one thing: there are many challenges ahead. I think Obama is up to it. Thanks for the comment and the kind words.

[cantankerousoldbabe]

I like your work, Mitchell. Grant you that's probably because I so frequently share your thoughts and feelings. The Obama win is a profound relief to me personally, as well as an extraordinary historic event, but as you so ably point out, there are clear signs that we have a long row to hoe: ending two wars, stopping the bailout plunder, repairing our infrastructures, against loopy opposition....

Those are big issues to contend with, but another sign of daftness has me shaking my head. The apparent passing of Prop. 8 in California -- and other anti-gay marriage initiatives around the country. America may have found a way to step beyond race bias (for a minute) but it still can't seem to see that civil rights for everybody means EVERYBODY. There has never been any rational logic behind any of America's discriminatory practices, but I had hoped that people who could rise above racism could also rise above homophobia. Silly me.

(Disclosure: I am a middle aged heterosexual "woman of some color" -- see the work of Lise Funderburg -- married by civil ceremony in 1995 to a heterosexual white man.) I see no threat to my marriage by the extension of the same rights, resposibilities, privileges, and yes, the word marriage, to same sex partnerships. Will America ever grow up?

[El]

Thanks CantankOB

"Grow Up!" is exactly what I said to Yes on 8 demonstrators.

Oh my god, what if people are gay?!?!?! GROW UP!

Oh my god, what if gay people want to marry?!?!?! GROW UP!

Oh know, what if they teach schoolchildren about gay people?!?!?! GROW UP! (Gay people not only exist, but might I point out that gay people are .... PEOPLE!)

[derekc06]

yeah i have to say... huge gains were made this year but, in all honesty, the passing of prop 8 really says to me that this country still has much, much more work to do...

the problem is state after state is banning gay marriage... that's a sad, sad sign to me...