Election Day 2008

Unmarried women's crucial role in electing Obama is underscored by the "marriage gap" between their political preferences and those of married women.

On both values and issues, moderates line up with liberals to form a strong majority that isolates conservatives. Conservatives have had their day. This is a center-left, not a center-right nation.

Some soldiers' opinions I recently wrote about are theirs to have, even though they may be highly unpopular. Being unpopular does not, however, make their opinion any less valid nor criminal.

Though Europeans generally rejoiced in Barack Obama's election as 44th President of the US, a number of leading European lawmakers and journalists have made "foot-in-mouth comments."

In selecting his team, Obama should look to future opportunities -- to how he can help solve the critical problems of the nation and the world -- and not to past obligations.

How long is the honeymoon going to last?

Rather than preach, build or spread democracy, we proved that our system works. By winning, Obama did more to teach the Iraqis about democracy than four years of nation building has done.

In the wake of Obama's overwhelming victory, and Democratic gains in the House and Senate, conservatives are desperately trying to convince the world that these results are meaningless. "Democrats should not make the mistake of viewing Tuesday's results as a repudiation of conservatism," insisted John Boehner. "Barack Obama understands this is a center-right country," claimed Karl Rove. "This country remains every bit as center-right as it has for a generation," parroted Brent Bozell. And David Brooks dreamed of an Obama administration that understands "this was an election where the middle asserted itself." Drunk on self-delusion, a staggering GOP whistles past the electoral graveyard, missing the whole point of this election: the center has shifted, and positions that used to be considered left-wing -- on healthcare, on global warming, on corporate responsibility, on Iraq -- are now solidly mainstream.

Europe is rejoicing in the Obama victory and claiming it as a direct result of their moral superiority over Americans while at the same time hiding their own shortcomings and intolerances.

Barack Obama's victory could well be the third realigning election in the past century -- one that will be seen by historians as the beginning of an emerging Democratic majority.

Bill Ayers was not Barack Obama's touchstone; rather, it was Sam Cooke and his never-ending refrain, Change is gonna come. And now change has arrived, and we embrace it.

Further polling results will help to answer the critical question of why religious voters cast their ballots the way they did. But three factors are likely key to understanding the religious shift.

Sadly, many voters did not see past their fears to understand how denying LGBT people rights is cut from the same cloth of discrimination that made Obama's election such a poignant event.

Prop. 8 passed, after Obama's speech. It was a bitter pill for progressives to swallow and a reminder that no matter who is president the public faces many significant issues on its own.

Religious fanatics rejoice! You did it! You won! You've succeeded in getting amendments passed in Florida, Arizona and California banning same-sex marriage! This is your crowning moment!

Skepticism about science is good. But instead of turning us off scientific information altogether, skepticism should lead to its more careful consumption.

What we have seen in the last year is a rebirth of participatory democracy, infused by the energy of millions. Imagine what this energy can do if it channeled into ongoing action.

Despite talks of its death following the election, within the last two decades the American Christian right has vectored outwards to become a truly global mass membership movement.

Talking about the election, the Staff Sergeant said to me, "If there is anything I take away from this, it is that change is fearful."