Oh What A Night!
By Bernadette Budde

No one who stood in front of the White House on Tuesday night will ever forget the moment, no matter how one felt toward the winner, about the outcome or concerns regarding policy disputes that lie ahead.  

As soon as the networks declared Sen. Barack Obama had reached 270 Electoral College votes, people crowded the streets on Pennsylvania Avenue.  It was a noisy and polite group of all ages and races.  Some sang the Star Spangled Banner while others waved flags or red/white/blue balloons.  As a veteran of the Vietnam era demonstrations on campus and in Washington, I never thought a gathering could congregate so quickly, and without a fire hose or tear gas canister in sight.  What a country!

The Democratic presidential victory was built on winning all the states taken by Sen. John Kerry in 2004 PLUS Iowa and New Mexico won by Vice President Al Gore in 2000.  Added to that were the following states:  Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia.  The victory was across regions, indicating how hard it was for Sen. John McCain to achieve a late rally to narrow the geographical gap, even if he could have closed the popular vote margin. 

In the Senate, Democrats didn't achieve the numerical goal of 60 seats.  With three states still unresolved at this writing, Republicans lost at least five seats, three because veteran Republicans retired.  Ironically, they were in states Obama captured:  Colorado, New Mexico and Virginia.  Incumbents lost in New Hampshire and North Carolina, which also ended up in the Obama column.  

House pickups are in the 19-22 range, in a night that saw many competitive races where the Republican loss could have been greater.  A third of the Republican open seats went Democrat, and at least 13 Republican incumbents were defeated.  This was offset by pickups of four seats held by Democratic freshmen.  Of the Democratic pickups, all but three were in states Obama carried.  The Democratic gains were a continuation of the 2006 slide, with nearly all the districts that flipped from the 2006 target lists.  

There were only 11 governors' races, and except for Missouri, the party currently holding the state mansion was returned.  In Missouri, Democrats won the Republican open seat.

2008 Election Summary as of 5 a.m.

Presidential Race

• President-elect Barack Obama (D) won 364 Electoral College votes, an increase of 112 over John Kerry.  Sen. John McCain (R) won 174, 96 short of victory.
• Democrats won all the states carried by Gore and Kerry.
• Democrats also won the following states carried by President Bush in 2000 and 2004:  Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.  Missouri went for McCain, although by a narrow margin.

Senate Race