Last night, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois won the U.S. presidency in a landslide victory against Republican opponent, Senator John McCain. In addition to carrying the same “Blue” states as John Kerry in 2004, Obama carried battleground states – like Florida, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia – whose record Democratic support tipped the election in Obama’s favor. Addressing the nation from Chicago last night in a dogged victory speech, President-elect Barack Obama called for steadfast cooperation among Americans as our nation embarks on a new era, and cited his unlikely victory as evidence of the power Americans have to enact awe-inspiring change. Why this campaign was different The 2008 U.S. presidential election commemorates several noteworthy firsts,  the two most obvious being the inclusion of a woman (Hilary Clinton) and an African-American (Barack Obama) in the race for the White House. While the socio-cultural significance of such inclusions is clear, it … Continue reading →