I am so happy that Obama is our new Pres. I am hopeful that a Teacher of the Constitution will be able to hold everyone to it. The things that are going on in Phx. Az. by Sheriff Joe Arpaio. We the people need to put a stop to the Hitler like actions of the Sheriff Dept. Rounding up people just because they are brown is an outrage!

Race / Demography / Demographics

With respect to the African-American vote in the 2008 Presidential Election, race, demography, demographics were part and parcel of the outcome.  This was especially true in North Carolina.

I'm not discounting the importance of any other populations.  However, I particularly want to celebrate all of African-Americans who realized the significance of this election and who rose to the occasion to make their votes count as they did.

I applaud Barack Obama who inspired all the populations that supported him.  He accomplished this with grace, dignity and substance.

African Americans and all who supported President-Elect Ombama truly demonstrated their collective strength and power to shape and reshape America.  I'm sure future candidates and 'wannabes' will research and study this more seriously for decades to come.

Please stop saying that African-Americans just voted for Obama because he is black and that makes us racist.  We don't always vote or fully support every African-American under the sun because they are black (ie. JC Watt, Clarence Thomas, Armstrong Williams, Michael Steele, Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, etc.). I liked John McCain personally at first.  My dad was a war veteran. I still would have never voted for him because I disagree with his political views. When he started going negative and trying to tare Obama down I then started to personally dislike him. The true McCain came out and he became a dishonorable disgrace.

African Americans overwhelmingly do not support the Republican party, period. We have primarily supported the Democratic party typically in the 70-90% range. If it had been Hillary, guess what, she probably would have gotten close to the same support as Obama. To be honest, most African Americans despise the Republican party and what it stands for ( based on our perspective) and would almost never vote Rebublican anyway.  We despise it even more after the last 8 years. Barack Obama has everything we looked for in candidate and we supported him overwhelmingly. He just happens to be African American.   Obama won by building a coalition based on "Real America" a melting pot of Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and other races, creeds, religions, and colors.

Little by little it is dawning on more and more people that Republican trickle down economics was a sham. Hidden behind the smoke screens of God, guns and fear has long been an economic theory which leads inexorably to a nation of a few comfortable haves and a mass of compliant have-nots. Sorry, no longer any good factory jobs in your town, but we do have an all volunteer army you can join ....

Waking up can be so refreshing.

BTW Gary Shear, I know you worked your tail off to turn Montana blue...I was rooting for you and thought that you had a pretty good shot.  You (as you know) were only 12k votes off.  My hat is off to you and your fellow big sky campaign workers...I guess enough granola crunchers are moving in to make Montana competative.  Somewhere, Lee Metcalf is smiling.

BTW Gary Shear, I know you worked your tail off to turn Montana blue...I was rooting for you and thought that you had a pretty good shot.  You (as you know) were only 12k votes off.  My hat is off to you and your fellow big sky campaign workers...I guess enough granola crunchers are moving in to make Montana competative.  Somewhere, Lee Metcalf is smiling.

i live in san antonio,texas and there was alot of obama supporters and obama won our county (bexar)
just wanted to let you all know.

Actually, many conservatives can be thanked for the NC victory. After Katrina, the mass exodus of Louisiana African-Americans made stops in NC, VA and Texas. And I, for one, am glad for it. Thanks, America. Now, let's give President-elect Obama all our support.

i'm so happy that north carolina went 'blue". i just wish that state i live in did the same (s.c.),there were some talk that it might happen. oh, well maybe 2012 we'll turn blue, i got a feeling we will or should i say "yes we can".

[In 2004, John Kerry only won 85% of the black vote in North Carolina; this year, Obama beat McCain among black voters in the state by a margin of 95-5%. ]

And it appears blacks have become more racist over time.
R. Byrd, WV (Sent Thursday, November 06, 2008 1:15 PM)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Careful, racial and racist are two very different aspects. Why don't you take a more rounded perspective of Obama's candidacy and view it within the eye of black person, any minority, a female, those with various dissabilities, the poor and down trodden, and anyone else who may have had to or has to fight for on a daily basis for an equal right on just about everything they need to survive........race was a factor in Obama's win in many ways, 55% of those who voted for Obama said that race was a factor, and 55% of those that votted fotr McCain, or against Obama said that race was a factor......so please don't just a narrow approach to this issue. Like many other social problems in our country, and in our world there is is usually a whole lot more to it - my dear american!

Hard work, never letting up, empowering the local volunteers, giving support to local candidates, including Hillary supporters,this is what it takes. If we had had this phenomenal organization in 2004, Kerry would have won. Go, NC!!!

Well, now we have a legitimate claim to a modern landslide, and a new DEM coalition of Youth, African-Americans and Hispanics. We also have a government that has been returned to the people, more accurately that the people have taken back from the special interests.

Yes we have a financial mess, but the folks who caused it will be heading out back to their personal foxholes soon enough. The world now sees our democracy in a new light and we have a new leader with the talent and the temprament to help us find the change we need.

If you havent seen the Barackapella version of yes we can take a look here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l07COcgwmXU&NR=1

For a International version in 23 Languages look here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PJa3jaEVyM&NR=1

One final thought for Obama supporters living in Red states where racism still lurks. Jesus Christ was very likely brown skinned folks. I don't think that God looks at us from the outside, so why do many bible toters continue to be so shallow? Like Sarah P. they think they are in the "Pro-America" parts of our country. As Barack likes to say "We are one country" Get over you old tired worn out dogma and move on with the rest of us.

God bless President Elect Barack Obama and all of his administration and god bless the United States of America!

Texas Peter said "[YES WE DID! ]
Caused the market to tank? Yes, you did that. What are you going to do about it? "

The markets behavior had and has ZERO to do with Pres. Elect Obama or the people who elected him.  It has had and will continue to have EVERYTHING to do with investor fear (both panic selling and panic buying).  That panic is 100% driven by financial news (not political news).  Recessionary unemployment news is the cause of this week's market dive (fear), plus the rumors that tomorrows financial news will bring more bad news.

The recession began Feb/Mar this year.  Wall Street collapsed Sep-Oct.  Panic buyers sent the market up early this month. Panic sellers are driving it back down.

George Bush and his team (McCain et al) were and still are the stewards of this economic crisis, along with Wall Street corruption and greed.

You and your ilk, Texas Peter, 'caused it.' Now we not only have to fix it, we have to pay for it.  Now you, and your pathetic ilk want to shirk blame off on Obama, who isn't even on clock yet, and those who voted for him!?!?

You, sir, and your ilk are THE IDIOTS. The damage you and your ilk have cause will last two generations at least.  You and your ilk are the most unpatriotic Americans I have ever known, and the most stupid.

Somebody should tell MSNBC:

1) NE-02 is still up in the air.
2) So is Missouri (though McCain looks like he'll hang on).

Still counting ballots in both places.

Byrd, you re very uninformed. Blacks have always voted Democratic, Clinton was said to be the first black pres.You read the news that said Kerry won 85% of black vote in NC, maybe Kerry is black too. Accept reality and stop using words like race,to me that word has been delt a blow and will continue untill its negative impact is anihilated.

This East Texas transplant from Asheville, N.C. is proud of the Tarheel State's blue transition! I'm even prouder to live in Harris County, Texas, one of the few places that in the Lone Star State that "get" Obama!  

Dogteam 18 Atlanta, GA,

I agree with you 110%. The African American vote only increased by 2% over normal voting patterns because of Obama. Don't know why this isn't reported.
I, too, voted for the guy who was intelligent, compassionate, understanding, calm, and had the policies that I could support. He just happened to be African American. This coming from a 59 year old white woman who cried her eyes out Tuesday night when he won. This win was LONG overdue in our country and I'm so proud to be an American today and thankful that I lived long enough to see it!

MSNBC censored my message yesterday, so I'll try again today...  Congrats to Obama on his victory, perhaps now we can stop talking about race as a driving factor in politics (especially when a candidate blames his/her loss on race).  Winning in NC and VA is testament to progress in that regard.  I do find it odd that there was no cheerleading when Clarence Thomas or Condi Rice were put in their positions - it seems that only the right kind of African American gets the support of the left.

Lastly, congrats to MSNBC - your relentless criticism of Palin for some of the same things Obama lacked (experience) carried water for the DEM ticket.  Your DNC check is in the mail...

TO: Tim,
About your confusion over the totals in electoral college numbers (364/Obama, 173/McCain =537) The missing vote is in Nebraska.  They do not award all of their votes to the person who carried the state but award them  proportionately.  Obama is currently leading in one area and, if the totals bear out that he won there, it will be the first time Nebraska didn't give all of their electoral votes to a single candidate.

Hope that helps.

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