Spring Break
Nation reacts to historic Obama win
President-elect swift to begin transition process as McCain considers future role in Senate
By: Staff and wire
Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: News
It was a day of pride and disappointment, tears of joy and defeat Wednesday as the historic election of Barack Obama also meant the failure of John McCain to become the 44th president.
"It's amazing how so many people were so excited about Obama as president, even around here, where most people are Republican and conservative," said Micah Schluter, a senior civil engineering major.
From Washington, D.C., and Atlanta to Detroit and Los Angeles, crowds danced in the streets, wept and halted traffic as they reveled in Obama's success at massive rallies that took place across the country.
The election of Obama as the first black president drew many to celebrate the day as a racial milestone for the country, and many said it could lead to the racial wounds in the U.S. to heal.
"I'm way happy," said Thomasina Wright from New York City's Harlem neighborhood. "It means that I can tell my seven grandchildren that they have a chance to be president."
For those who experienced the civil rights movement - struggling for the right to vote - seeing a black man elected president meant seeing a longstanding dream come true. "To see this happening is unbelievable - we've got the first black president. A black president!" said Mike Louis, whose eyes were welling up with tears as he watched election results at Cincinnati's Fountain Square. "It's not cured now, but this is a step to curing this country of racism. This is a big, giant step forward toward getting the country together."
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a leading figure of the civil rights movement, said that after being beaten and bloodied in a march 40 years ago, it was hard to fathom that he voted for Obama.
"This is a great night," Lewis said at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the Rev. Martin Luther King had preached. "It is an unbelievable night. It is a night of thanksgiving."
For some, however, it was a night of ambiguity over the future. Schluter has doubts over Obama's experience, because he enters with four years in the Senate. "His biggest experience he's ever had is two years in the Senate and two years running for president," Schluter said. "I don't know if that's enough experience to be president.
Kelvin Singleton, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, said the election became too focused on the history - not the present events affecting the country. "History is great, making history is great, but it did become more or less about the history and other causes more so than the actual politics," he said.
Obama: moving forward
Obama did not take much time to celebrate his victory as he quickly began executing his transition into the White House. He began by offering the position of chief of staff to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., on Wednesday, according to several Democrats.
In selecting Emanuel, Obama would bring another Chicago Democrat with him to the White House. Though he has represented Chicago in the House since 2002, Emanuel has a reputation as a strategist. He is widely credited as the orchestrator of the Democrats' congressional takeover in 2006 and was an aide to former President Clinton.
Emanuel has not yet accepted the post.
The Obama team faces a formidable task in the transition, having to decide who will fill hundreds of positions with the inauguration looming 10 weeks away. The team is led by John Podesta, President Clinton's former chief of staff; Pete Rouse, Obama's chief of staff in the Senate; and Valerie Jarrett, a longtime friend and adviser to Obama.
A host of Obama aides and veterans from the Clinton White House are working behind the scenes vetting possible choices, and have built up a sprawling - yet relatively stealth - operation that has been working for several weeks, several Democrats said.
McCain makes plans of his own.
As Obama plans his transition to the White House, Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., is planning the next chapter of his political career after losing.
McCain has had discussions with his senior aides, trying to devise what his role will be as he returns to the Senate with two years left in his term. In his concession speech, McCain said he pledged "to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face."
Senators in both parties imagine McCain playing the role of a senior statesman, working as a liaison between a President Obama and the Republicans in a Congress with a Democratic majority.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., harkened back to McCain's senatorial reputation as an independent who helped prevent partisan squabbles from evolving into meltdowns. Schumer cited the debate and threat of a filibuster over President Bush's judicial nominations in 2005 as an example. He also has a history of working with Democrats on key legislation: He worked with Russ Feingold, D-Wis., to pass campaign finance reform, and with Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., in a failed attempted to pass immigration reform. "There's a need for the old John McCain, a leader who worked in a bipartisan way," Schumer said.
Republicans say their hope is that McCain - the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee - can influence Obama in his plan to set a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
"That would be good," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said. "I would love to see McCain work with President Obama in dealing with Iraq in a way that Republicans and Democrats could agree on."
Power of youth turnout
Every election is supposed to be the one in which the youth turn out and drive an election. In this one, it may have actually happened.
At least 2.2 million more Americans age 18 to 29 voted in this election than in 2004, with an estimated 21.3 million to 23.9 million of them participating, the Center for Information and Research on Civil Learning and Engagement said in a report of preliminary estimates released Wednesday.
Young voters supported Obama with a two-to-one margin, likely adding a major thrust in pushing Obama to victory, the CIRCLE report said.
"I just turned 18 last year," said Maxine Marasigan, a freshman general studies major. "I was excited that I finally got to vote for this election."
"It's amazing how so many people were so excited about Obama as president, even around here, where most people are Republican and conservative," said Micah Schluter, a senior civil engineering major.
From Washington, D.C., and Atlanta to Detroit and Los Angeles, crowds danced in the streets, wept and halted traffic as they reveled in Obama's success at massive rallies that took place across the country.
The election of Obama as the first black president drew many to celebrate the day as a racial milestone for the country, and many said it could lead to the racial wounds in the U.S. to heal.
"I'm way happy," said Thomasina Wright from New York City's Harlem neighborhood. "It means that I can tell my seven grandchildren that they have a chance to be president."
For those who experienced the civil rights movement - struggling for the right to vote - seeing a black man elected president meant seeing a longstanding dream come true. "To see this happening is unbelievable - we've got the first black president. A black president!" said Mike Louis, whose eyes were welling up with tears as he watched election results at Cincinnati's Fountain Square. "It's not cured now, but this is a step to curing this country of racism. This is a big, giant step forward toward getting the country together."
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a leading figure of the civil rights movement, said that after being beaten and bloodied in a march 40 years ago, it was hard to fathom that he voted for Obama.
"This is a great night," Lewis said at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the Rev. Martin Luther King had preached. "It is an unbelievable night. It is a night of thanksgiving."
For some, however, it was a night of ambiguity over the future. Schluter has doubts over Obama's experience, because he enters with four years in the Senate. "His biggest experience he's ever had is two years in the Senate and two years running for president," Schluter said. "I don't know if that's enough experience to be president.
Kelvin Singleton, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, said the election became too focused on the history - not the present events affecting the country. "History is great, making history is great, but it did become more or less about the history and other causes more so than the actual politics," he said.
Obama: moving forward
Obama did not take much time to celebrate his victory as he quickly began executing his transition into the White House. He began by offering the position of chief of staff to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., on Wednesday, according to several Democrats.
In selecting Emanuel, Obama would bring another Chicago Democrat with him to the White House. Though he has represented Chicago in the House since 2002, Emanuel has a reputation as a strategist. He is widely credited as the orchestrator of the Democrats' congressional takeover in 2006 and was an aide to former President Clinton.
Emanuel has not yet accepted the post.
The Obama team faces a formidable task in the transition, having to decide who will fill hundreds of positions with the inauguration looming 10 weeks away. The team is led by John Podesta, President Clinton's former chief of staff; Pete Rouse, Obama's chief of staff in the Senate; and Valerie Jarrett, a longtime friend and adviser to Obama.
A host of Obama aides and veterans from the Clinton White House are working behind the scenes vetting possible choices, and have built up a sprawling - yet relatively stealth - operation that has been working for several weeks, several Democrats said.
McCain makes plans of his own.
As Obama plans his transition to the White House, Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., is planning the next chapter of his political career after losing.
McCain has had discussions with his senior aides, trying to devise what his role will be as he returns to the Senate with two years left in his term. In his concession speech, McCain said he pledged "to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face."
Senators in both parties imagine McCain playing the role of a senior statesman, working as a liaison between a President Obama and the Republicans in a Congress with a Democratic majority.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., harkened back to McCain's senatorial reputation as an independent who helped prevent partisan squabbles from evolving into meltdowns. Schumer cited the debate and threat of a filibuster over President Bush's judicial nominations in 2005 as an example. He also has a history of working with Democrats on key legislation: He worked with Russ Feingold, D-Wis., to pass campaign finance reform, and with Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., in a failed attempted to pass immigration reform. "There's a need for the old John McCain, a leader who worked in a bipartisan way," Schumer said.
Republicans say their hope is that McCain - the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee - can influence Obama in his plan to set a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
"That would be good," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said. "I would love to see McCain work with President Obama in dealing with Iraq in a way that Republicans and Democrats could agree on."
Power of youth turnout
Every election is supposed to be the one in which the youth turn out and drive an election. In this one, it may have actually happened.
At least 2.2 million more Americans age 18 to 29 voted in this election than in 2004, with an estimated 21.3 million to 23.9 million of them participating, the Center for Information and Research on Civil Learning and Engagement said in a report of preliminary estimates released Wednesday.
Young voters supported Obama with a two-to-one margin, likely adding a major thrust in pushing Obama to victory, the CIRCLE report said.
"I just turned 18 last year," said Maxine Marasigan, a freshman general studies major. "I was excited that I finally got to vote for this election."
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