A Positive Milestone in American History

[SirSaxa]

Whether you like Hillary, Barack or John, whether you favor the Republicans, Democrats or neither, whether you are black or white, male or female, young or old, this past week has been an extraordinary one for the USA, and we should all take serious note of it and be proud of it.

Never in my lifetime did I believe I would see one of the two political parties nominate a black man -- or a woman of any color. And yet the Democratic nomination became a battle representing exactly that.

Those of us who are the more senior members of this board have seen quite a lot in our lifetimes. The Sixties are well-known as a time of turmoil and change in this country. The Vietnam war sharply divided the country and the generations. Civil Rights and Women's rights were issues that dominated the landscape. That's why this time is so important to note and so impressive.

A woman candidate got more primary votes than anyone before her ever had, and nearly won the nomination. A Black man did win and is running for President of the United States of America.

These milestones do not mean that the gender and civil rights issues are over, that there is no longer discrimination against women or blacks or other minorities, but they do signal a remarkable amount of progress. They remind us that all things are possible if we set our minds to it, work hard at it, don't give up, and don't accept discrimination - of any kind and against any group. The fight isn't over, but this is surely a time to step back and admire what has just happened and be proud to be an American.

[DFW HOYA]

Well said.

I think one of the fascinating dynamics about the campaign is how votes split along age and career. It's been said that Obama voters were under 45 and white-collar, mindful of a phrase sure to be heard between now and November: "the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans". A 25 year old knows little about the Baby Boomers' battles, and frankly, considers it history.

Over 45 and blue collar tended to skew Hillary, esp. female--she was the veteran of the Democratic causes of the past, as they were. Extrapolated along the dates of their college years, the Class of 1983 and the Class of 1969 had very different experiences growing up, and so too their supporters.

There are already pundits claiming that if McCain won Pennsylvania or Ohio, it would be over. This time, I don't agree. The tectonic plates of electoral politics are shifting, and McCain could be caught in its wake if he tries to campaign on the old maps. There are going to be a lot of new voters in this election cycle and you will see red states going blue and blue going red. Only 18% of voters under 30 in Iowa voted in the 2004 caucuses. In 2008, 43%. Get numbers up like that in Arizona, Texas, Virginia, and Florida, and it's a very new ball game.

[Frank Black]

Jun 7, 2008 16:00:00 GMT -5 DFW HOYA said:

Well said.

I think one of the fascinating dynamics about the campaign is how votes split along age and career. It's been said that Obama voters were under 45 and white-collar, mindful of a phrase sure to be heard between now and November: "the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans". A 25 year old knows little about the Baby Boomers' battles, and frankly, considers it history.

Over 45 and blue collar tended to skew Hillary, esp. female--she was the veteran of the Democratic causes of the past, as they were. Extrapolated along the dates of their college years, the Class of 1983 and the Class of 1969 had very different experiences growing up, and so too their supporters.

There are already pundits claiming that if McCain won Pennsylvania or Ohio, it would be over. This time, I don't agree. The tectonic plates of electoral politics are shifting, and McCain could be caught in its wake if he tries to campaign on the old maps. There are going to be a lot of new voters in this election cycle and you will see red states going blue and blue going red. Only 18% of voters under 30 in Iowa voted in the 2004 caucuses. In 2008, 43%. Get numbers up like that in Arizona, Texas, Virginia, and Florida, and it's a very new ball game.

It is a tough map for McCain, no doubt. I think if Obama picks Strickland, he wins Ohio. And that forces McCain to win either Pennsylvania or Michigan which, while doable, is going to be tough. If Obama picks Webb or Kaine I think he gets Virginia, but that by itself won't be enough to carry him through, although he'll probably add Iowa. It is going to be fascinating.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

Its going to be an interesting general election. McCain is a likeable guy with a good story (save the divorce thing and the Keating 5 thing). He also seems to have had some success in disassociating himself from the Republican brand. However, there's an interesting historical case to be made that while Reagan was a reaction to the Great Society being squandered in Vietnam, the liberal reaction to Reaganism has not happened yet (Clinton being more of a President who appealed to the center to tack against the right) - Obama being elected on a change platform with two democratic houses of Congress may be the platform for that reaction.

I think that Strickland is a good pick to VP because both Webb and Warner are needed to keep Virginia's Senate seats blue.

[Coast2CoastHoya]

Well said, SirSaxa, and well-added DFW.

It's a truly exciting and hopeful time to be an American.

[Elvado]

I, for one, look forward to the day when we can stop hearing about these types of milestones. Then, and only then, will we as a nation be living Jefferson's words.

[kchoya]

Jun 7, 2008 14:09:33 GMT -5 SirSaxa said:

Whether you like Hillary, Barack or John, whether you favor the Republicans, Democrats or neither, whether you are black or white, male or female, young or old, this past week has been an extraordinary one for the USA, and we should all take serious note of it and be proud of it.

Never in my lifetime did I believe I would see one of the two political parties nominate a black man -- or a woman of any color. And yet the Democratic nomination became a battle representing exactly that.

Those of us who are the more senior members of this board have seen quite a lot in our lifetimes. The Sixties are well-known as a time of turmoil and change in this country. The Vietnam war sharply divided the country and the generations. Civil Rights and Women's rights were issues that dominated the landscape. That's why this time is so important to note and so impressive.

A woman candidate got more primary votes than anyone before her ever had, and nearly won the nomination. A Black man did win and is running for President of the United States of America.

These milestones do not mean that the gender and civil rights issues are over, that there is no longer discrimination against women or blacks or other minorities, but they do signal a remarkable amount of progress. They remind us that all things are possible if we set our minds to it, work hard at it, don't give up, and don't accept discrimination - of any kind and against any group. The fight isn't over, but this is surely a time to step back and admire what has just happened and be proud to be an American.

I think there's a big difference between age groups on this one. I never thought there were any barriers to a black person or a woman being nominated as a presidential candidate. But I'm only 31, so I don't have the background some more seasoned members of the board may have. I guess that's why I don't see this as such a big deal. I'm more impressed that a first-term senator with no political track record is the candidate of a major political party.