On election night, Mike Murphy (who worked on McCain 2000 and is a big time guy in GOP circles, as I understand it) made the point on MSNBC that Obama ran like a Democrat and won like a Democrat (with the turnout boost helping out). I thought he put this very well at the time. While the importance of Obama's victory as a watershed in US history and a racial milestone for the country's culture and history can't be overstated, as a political event and as a harbinger of the way things may shake out in the future, I think it is much more important to focus on Obama as Democrat than on Obama as a racial avatar or symbol. I wept tears of joy and relief Tuesday night, and those tears came from a variety of places in my memory and in my recent experience, but much of that needs to be left to the historians as everyone puts shoulders to the wheel and all that.

I hate to come across like a jerk, but it's a sign of real societal progress that you're evidently too young to understand "the evidence of that," i.e., legacy of racism in Northern working-class whites (well, Christians at least). And the full significance of its becoming "just another" thing.

Things really have changed.

(Though, yeah, your California background probably plays into this atypical obliviousness too.)

Trust me: it's a big deal.

And it says a lot about race (racism, changing attitudes), economic fears (huge) and the Obama campaign. As well as long term electoral strategies. (Though that's the least of it.)
Sorry to be so condescending, but, geesh, there was (contrary to what you write) nothing "a bit confusing".
Though, yeah, you seem confused.

"i hate to come acrosss like a jerk, but it's a sign of real societal progress that you're evidently too young to understand..."

grandpa simpson...
maybe you are too "old" to really understand what was happening.
be grateful that young people of ezra's generation dont see or remember the world just as you do.

generational changes were happening under your nose, and maybe you just didnt see them.
many families, teachers and communities have been working hard over all of these years to create a sense of appreciation and tolerance for diversity.
certainly not all, but many younger folks see the world through a different lens. they are children of a greater god. and thank goodness for that.
and why the unkind comment about california and "its typical obliviousness".....
(i am sorry that no on eight didnt work out here...but the wording of that proposition was terribly confusing on the ballot).
there are many social, political and environmental activists working very hard out here in california.

"there is suffering, but also the overcoming of suffering."

Most astute thing you've written in a while.

Obama got more support (although still no majority) from the white population than did Kerry and Gore. The one demographic in which Obama did worse than Kerry are rural Whites with low educational level and low income. This can only be explained by race. Remember that on the whole, those with low income and little education vote reliably democratic. But if you look at the white subset, they vote heavily Republican (of course, African Americans are far overrepresented in that group).

Look at the map http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html and click on voting shift. The red counties are the ones that bucked the national trend and became more Republican. Arkansas voted more Republican than in 2004 by 10 points, while reelecting a Democratic Senator practically unopposed. Yes, race played a role. But it was far more restricted than could have been expected. And yes, that was a very large feat.

The NYT piece was stunning. And yes, race was a huge deal. The deft touch and grace of the Sokolove's article can't be underestimated. He grew up in Levittown, so when he reports that a voter said, "I have to admit, his race made my decision harder... I was brought up that way. And I don't like his name I admit that, too," he's tipping his hand. Many of these voters still may be racist, they're honest about it, but the economy is so bad, they are willing to give Obama a chance. That matters.

When his interviewee admits that electing Obama wouldn't be historic, but part of him "feels like it would be really cool." That matters even more.

The glacial change in race relations across America may not be uniform, but it's real.

I graduated from a highschool that was part of the original Brown v. Board, we didn't have desegregation until 1979. I grew up with people that used the n-word all the time. While many of them wouldn't use the word today, millions of others freely still do.

And yet, they were willing to vote for Obama. That's the biggest story of this election. I was floored.

When Obama refused to make race an issue. When he kept his talking points to: the economy, Iraq, tax cuts for the middle class, the environment, and health care, he gave white working class folks time to give him a chance. Obama grew on them.

The transformation of Levittown is a watershed. But a quick glance at polling data shows that the majority of the white working class voted still didn't vote for Obama.

I buddy of mine went door to door in Ohio, at one house the white man came up to the door, saw the "Obama" lit in my buddies hand and said, "Since when does change mean help a ni**er get a job."

We have a long way to go as a country. But this article shows change is possible. It was a long time coming.

But its a big deal. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

This is huge.