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SNIPPETS, our daily collection of short items and comments, is here.

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Answers to last week's "Current Question" are here. The new "Current Question" is here, in the right-hand column.

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I have a new piece up at the Hudson New York website, on free speech and the fairness doctrine.  Should you wish to read it, go here.

THURSDAY,  NOVEMBER 6,  2008

UPDATE AT 8:20 P.M. ET:  From The New York Times:  The political status of Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut was indefinite on Thursday after he met with Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader, to discuss Mr. Lieberman’s support of Senator John McCain, the Republican candidate for president.

COMMENT:  The "root cause" of this problem, as today's academics might put it, was the dimwitted decision by Connecticut's oh-so-chic Democrats to deny Lieberman renomination to the Senate, forcing him to run (and win) as an independent.  Now many Dems want to strip Lieberman of his committee chairmanship (Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs).  I can't deny they have a strong, even a moral case.  Lieberman did support John McCain for president and spoke at the Republican convention.  But there are far more Lieberman Democrats than the San Francisco delegation would like to admit, so the Dems must proceed with caution. 

WHAT VOTERS SAID

Posted at 7:49 p.m. ET

Investors Business Daily, responding to the election of Barack Obama, has a thoughtful, although problematical critique of the Republican Party, and what it must do in the future:

What is also clear is that, once again, the GOP's Reagan coalition was split apart in the primaries — with Mitt Romney getting votes from free market enthusiasts and Mike Huckabee energizing religious conservatives. As a result, a "maverick" who four years ago mulled the idea of switching parties got the nomination by default, campaigning mostly on his compelling life story as hero and POW.

The Republican Party was thus re-taught a stinging lesson in 2008: Its success, as in the past, does not come from narratives that capture the people's imagination, but from ideas that work — economic freedom, caution on government solutions, principled assertiveness in foreign policy and defense of traditional values.

Do you agree with that?  I do, but only part of the way.  A narrative that captures the imagination of the people is always valuable.  Ronald Reagan understood that and used the great American narrative as one of the building blocks of his presidency.  Please recall the magnificent speech Reagan made in France on the 40th anniversary of D-Day in 1984.   You can have a great narrative and ideas that work, both at the same time.  Reagan proved that.

In the coming weeks and months, President-elect Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders will be claiming that we have just witnessed a far-reaching realignment of the political landscape. In fact, as reporter Robert Novak noted, Obama "may have opened the door to enactment of the long-deferred liberal agenda, but he neither received a broad mandate from the public nor the needed large congressional majorities."

Even experienced Democrats are warning the party not to go too far.  See our article, "Political Reality," below.  Voter surveys do not bear out the belief among some on the left that America is ready to join MoveOn.org.

As a new generation of GOP leaders resist Washington's impending dalliance with socialism and plan for 2010 and 2012, the party must also remind itself that it had a good chance to win the White House in 2008. But it blew it by choosing story over substance.

The substance was lacking, that is true.  But I think IBD - and it's rare for them - oversimplifies.  After the economic meltdown of mid-September, it's unlikely that any Republican candidate could have won.  The people blamed the party in the White House, even though the meltdown had many fathers, a number of them Democrats. 

I would have liked to have seen IBD, where good journalism still thrives, take on the additional factor of media bias, which I firmly believe was a major factor in this election, just as it was a major factor in our misunderstanding of both the Iraq and Vietnam wars. 

But IBD gives us a good start.  There was no clear message from the Republicans this year, and that certainly never helped.  

November 6, 2008.      Permalink          

UPDATE AT 4:38 P.M. ET:   From the Washington Times:   The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday that the United States is vulnerable to attack or other incidents during the presidential transition period and that the military is ready to respond.  "When you go back and look at the number of incidents that have occurred three or four months before an inauguration to about 12 months out, back to the '50s, it's pretty staggering the number of major incidents which have occurred in this time frame," Adm. Michael Mullen said, noting that the danger is compounded by current world conditions.

COMMENT:  Note that this subject - possible terror attacks - has almost entirely dropped from the news.    Terror wasn't on a major radar screen on 9/11 either.

UPDATE AT 4:14 P.M. ET:  The Dow closed down 443, not good news for the president-elect.  He has not yet been greeted with the usual post-election rally.  He must move quickly to reassure markets of an economic policy they can believe in, or he will be blamed for this.

CHANGE?

Posted at 4:08 p.m. ET

Rahm Emanuel, a member of the House Democratic leadership, has accepted the president-elect's offer to become White House chief of staff.  He therefore gives up a rising career in the House, which could have taken him to the speaker's chair, and a chance to go to the United States Senate upon Mr. Obama's resignation. 

Emanuel was a Clinton loyalist.  Although a fellow member of the Illinois congressional delegation, he did not endorse Obama in the primaries.  Neither did he endorse Clinton.  He is known as a fierce partisan, someone not known for "working across the aisle."  He is also volatile and a hard curser.  Not a candidate for sainthood.

The speculation will now begin as to what "signal" this appointment sends, especially from a president-elect who pledged to be conciliatory.  We decline to participate in the speculation.  Emanuel and Obama are friends, and Emanuel is known for running a tight ship.  Maybe that's the whole thing.  Knowing how he's operated in the past, we can assume that he will quickly become the most powerful man in the administration, other than the president, but may, as a kind gesture, take Joe Biden's calls.

There is considerable talk as to who will replace Obama in the Senate, and it's taking on racial overtones.  The governor of Illinois, Rod Bladojevich, who, in the tradition of Illinois governors, is the subject of some embarrassing investigations, will make the choice.  He has said he'll be influenced by Obama's recommendations.  Translation:  Obama, in conjunction with Chicago political figures, will make the selection.  Black leaders are applying intense pressure to have another black named, especially since Obama is the only African-American in the Senate.  But that creates an awkward situation for Obama, who could then be accused of creating a "black" seat.  Further, the obvious choice would be Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., with a name not universally beloved.  Watch this one.

November 6, 2008.      Permalink          

UPDATE AT 3:22 P.M. ET:  The Dow is down 410, less than 40 minutes from the close.  If it piles up losses, day after day, after Obama's election, there will inevitably be talk, fair or unfair, of an "Obama effect."  I suspect Obama will move quickly to name his Treasury secretary, who will then be expected to make a number of "calming" statements.

UPDATE AT 11:21 A.M. ET:  The Dow is down 248 points.  If the loss holds, it will be the second day in a row, following Obama's election, of a sharp market decline.  This is not a warm welcome.

UPDATE AT 8:58 A.M. ET:  From The Politico:  Tuesday’s election may have made House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the most powerful woman in U.S. political history, but she isn’t getting much time to celebrate: Some of her colleagues are accusing her of plotting to overthrow a popular committee chairman, and the possible departure of Rahm Emanuel could bring new fights for spots on her leadership team.

COMMENT:  I think it will take, oh, two years to sort this out.  2010 anyone?

POLITICAL REALITY

Posted at 8:22 p.m. ET

The delusional left - that is redundant - believes it elected Barack Obama. Some instruction is required, even if those giving it will probably be denounced as closet fascists and secret Bush lovers.

Doug Schoen, a thoughtful Democratic strategist, sets the record straight and examines who really put the president-elect in the White House:

The general consensus of Election Night commentators was that our center-right country has become a center-left country. I must offer what will be, for liberals, a buzz kill: Barack Obama owes his victory not to the left, but to the middle. As he sets out to govern, he forgets that at his peril.

First, and probably most important, the ideological composition of the electorate this year was virtually identical to that of 2004. This year, 22% of voters were liberals, 44% were moderates and 34% were conservatives. In 2004, 21% were liberals, 45% were moderates and 34% were conservatives.

So much for the Daily Kos theory of American politics.

The real change between 2004 and 2008 came in the number of people calling themselves Democrats. They had been basically equal in numbers to Republican identifiers in 2004. In this election, exit polls reported self-declared Democrats outnumbered Republicans, 39% to 32%.

Translation: The country has not shifted further left. Rather, in all likelihood, the Democratic Party has shifted further right.

Now there's an absolutely intriguing thought, and one of the freshest ideas I've seen this campaign season - the possibility that moderates, out of disillusion with the Republicans - are calling themselves Democrats, even though they're not part of the party base.  Moderating the Democratic Party would mark an important improvement in American politics, even though Dennis Kucinich might have to take tranquilizers.

But what about those much talked about, map-changing wild cards - African-Americans and young voters?

African-Americans had been 11% of the electorate in 2004. In this election, they were 12%. Obama did slightly better than Kerry among them, but not by enough to have materially impacted the outcome.

And youth? In 2004, 18- to 29-year-olds made up 17% of the electorate. They were 18% in 2008. While again here Obama did better than Kerry, this would account for only a point or two.

Stunning.  It's amazing what a little real research can do. 

When asked about an Obama presidency, 30% said that they were excited by it, while 20% said that they were concerned and a quarter said that they were scared. So, though "hope" is one of the buzzwords of the Obama campaign, there's also palpable fear out there.

Maybe Rev. Wright had his impact.

The implications of the election, and the polls that accompanied it:

There is little appetite for a supersized Democratic agenda. Polling does show support for another stimulus program and initiatives to help beleaguered homeowners. But it is hard to see how other Obama initiatives like raising the capital gains tax rate or raising the tax on dividends in the face of a bitter recession will be well-received by an already nervous electorate.

At a time when our deficit is approaching $1 trillion, the public will not be receptive to massive spending programs.

Do you sense an opening for conservatives here, if the Democrats unravel into an undisciplined army?  Punishment may be only two years away.

Finally, Democrats must resist the temptation to take on symbolic issues that appeal to the left and divide the country...

...America has not changed as much as many commentators think it has. Rather, there has been a rejection of George Bush and failed Republican ideas. Carefully crafted bipartisan policies offer the greatest chance to strengthen America and rebuild our battered national psyche.

Of course, he's writing from a Democratic perspective, but we can't deny that the public, at least until time provides perspective, has rejected Mr. Bush and the Republicans.  We see the numbers.

I wonder, though, how much stomach there is on the Democratic side for bipartisan policies.  I suspect the Dems may overreach, as they have before, even challenging a more cautious President Obama.  They may interpret the election as a mandate for policies that have failed repeatedly, and that have little favor among the majority.  That may be the train wreck to come, and Republicans must be ready to put the cars back on the track.

November 6, 2008.       Permalink          

ASSIGNMENT FOR OBAMA

Posted at 7:40 a.m. ET

Looking at all the foreign adulation heaped on the president-elect, it struck me that it has a common denominator - that America must change, America must do things, America must be this, America must be that, America must, America must.

So I have an assignment for Mr. Obama:  How about informing some of your foreign fans, especially on the European left, that maybe they might consider doing some things. 

For example, they might start by defending their countries, and allowing us to reduce our defense burden in Europe. 

They might also try to integrate Muslim immigrants into their societies instead of allowing them to act as fifth columns, so that Western civilization has a chance at survival. 

They might, instead of endlessly lecturing us on our social problems, start trying to add a little spice to their politics by asking, "Where is the European Barack Obama?" 

They might also examine their morality, especially when it comes to rushing to Iran to grab more contracts, and groveling before dictators, as long as there's profit involved. 

And they might occasionally express some gratitude to the nation across the Atlantic that has, more than any other force on Earth, made their recovery from two world wars possible.

That's for starters.  I have a longer list.  But some challenges thrown down before the white, leftist politicians of Europe by America's black president would be a wonderful  thing to behold.

November 6, 2008.      Permalink          

UPDATE AT 6:52 A.M. ET:  There are still four outstanding Senate races, all of them involving incumbent Republicans.  In Oregon it appears that incumbent Gordon Smith has been defeated by Democrat Jeff Merkley.  The race has been called by The Oregonian.  This would give the Dems 57 Senate seats.

In Minnesota, Norm Coleman is leading the unfunny comedian Al Franken by 477 votes, triggering an automatic recount.  Most observers believe the recount won't change anything.

In George, incumbent Saxby Chambliss and opponent Jim Martin will have a runoff on December 2nd.  Chances are, Chambliss will hang onto his seat.

Alaskan incumbent, the very convicted Ted Stevens, is leading by 3,353 votes, but 50,000 absentee and early ballots have not been counted. 

WEDNESDAY,  NOVEMBER 5,  2008

MEDIA SINS

Posted at 8:08 p.m. ET

We are dignified in defeat, but that doesn't mean forgetting what we learned and observed in this campaign.  One of the things we learned is how serious media bias can be, how pervasive, and how damaging.  We must not forget.  The media will not be our friend.  In 2010 and 2012 our side must learn, as Ronald Reagan learned, how to get around the press and speak directly to the American people.  I think John McCain was a bit naive about that, thinking his media "friends" were real.

We've been presenting here some media gems, illustrating how bad things are in the print and broadcast worlds.  Here are a few others.  First, the impeccably dense Christiane Amanpour, also quoted here yesterday, continues her flight into ecstasy with this:

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A page of history has been turned and a tsunami of goodwill is rumbling across the Atlantic to the Pacific, from pole to pole and across our many continents.

Pole to pole?  Really?  Did she interview the penguins?  Yes, of course.  Penguins are black and white together.  Of course they're cheering Obama.  We'll be researching quotes from penguin newspapers. 

I don't know who at the North Pole she's referring to.  Maybe she has secret sources.

Oh, by the way, about this goodwill bit:  The "goodwill" after the attacks of September 11th lasted precisely 48 hours.  Within two days the BBC was on the air with vicious, anti-American programming.  Don't expect too much "goodwill."

President-elect Barack Obama has brought America back, and yet he inherits a monumental mess.

Nothing like a little editorializing.  And get this:

No sooner had he said "I do" than world leaders, pundits and of course the media started weighing in with their wish lists.

When did he say "I do"?  What is this woman talking about?  Was there a wedding? 

Actually, the whole world pronounced itself sick of what it perceived to be Bush's multipronged military approach. From the start, President Obama will have to tackle the campaign pledge that defined his candidacy: bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq and ending the war there.

The whole world is doing things again.  Apparently, everyone in the world agrees with Christiane.  This individual is the chief international correspondent of CNN, and writes like a child.  And the Iraq pledge never defined Obama's candidacy.  In fact, he became rather vague about it.

It is no enviable task, but America's next president starts with a world of best wishes.

Again, the whole world is involved.  It's clear that Amanpour, in her rapture, didn't notice the threats from Moscow that accompanied Obama's election. 

How embarrassing for a major news operation.

And then there's the AP, whose reporting during the campaign was particularly disgraceful.  You can't find a more blatant example of bias than this, which appears in an AP news story today:

Skepticism, however, was high in the Muslim world. The Bush administration alienated those in the Middle East by mistreating prisoners at its detention center for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and inmates at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison -- human rights violations also condemned worldwide.

The Bush administration mistreated prisoners at Abu Ghraib?  I thought they prosecuted the individuals who did it.  And Guantanamo?  There are debatable legal issues, but there has been no evidence presented of real mistreatment.  This is very bad, propagandistic reporting.  Or this:

Some Iraqis, who have suffered through five years of a war ignited by the United States and its allies, said they would believe positive change when they saw it.

Ignited by the United States and its allies?  You mean Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with it?  We just decided to invade a country whose name we picked out of a hat?

This is disgraceful stuff.  And, by the way, this is the kind of thing fed to readers around the world.  America's image is created less by America's actions than by the corruption of news organizations, many of which are owned by ideologies.

We have a tough fight ahead to preserve freedom.  It's sad that some of our opponents will be in the media, but they will.

November 5, 2008.      Permalink          

UPDATE AT 7:30 P.M. ET:  More political integrity, via the Boston Globe: 

BOSTON—No sooner had John Kerry won re-election than he refused to rule out the possibility he might give up his Senate seat for a position in the Obama administration.

He also broadened his definition of service to Massachusetts, suggesting he could provide it whether he was one of the state's U.S. senators or held some other post under President-elect Barack Obama.

It was a change from past statements in which the Democrat would say he was only interested in seeking re-election. Kerry achieved that goal when he won a fifth term by beating Republican challenger Jeff Beatty.

There's talk he wants to be secretary of state, which would be a catastrophic appointment.  I hope Obama has more sense than that.  I also hope he has more sense than to appoint a pseudo Republican like Chuck Hagel, or the Senate's marshmallow-in-chief, Richard Lugar.  We need a tough secretary of state. 

UPDATE AT 7:22 P.M. ET:  Very early today we reported on which pollsters got it right, and which got it wrong.  But election tallies were refined during the day, and now we must revise our findings.  Obama, in the latest count, won the election, 52-46, a six-point margin. 

Ladies and gentlemen, the pollster winners, and new champ-eens are:

Rasmussen Reports and Pew Research, both of whom, in their final polls, got it exactly right.  (We define "exactly right" as hitting all three numbers - the percentages for the candidates, and the point spread.)

The big losers continue to be Zogby and Gallup, who are undoubtedly spending the day examining their methodology.

UPDATE AT 6:50 P.M. ET:  Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- The stock market posted its biggest plunge following a presidential election as reports on jobs and service industries stoked concern the economy will worsen even as President-elect Barack Obama tries to stimulate growth.

COMMENT:  Reality sets in. 

UPDATE AT 6:38 P.M. ET:  We've just received this, on the Minnesota Senate race, from a knowledgeable observer:

The Minnesota recount will probably be pro forma, in that Coleman's current 477 vote margin is extremely unlikely to overturned by it.  Two months ago a judicial election recount netted a change of 7 votes, split between the two candidates. Extrapolate that to the MN Senate race and you get maybe 50-70 votes switching among the candidates, but in both directions. There are no major irregulariities that might void the election. The Secretary of State today, a Democrat, indicated that he thought the recount would not generate great surprises.  So, relax for now about Coleman.

I feel better already.

UPDATE AT 5:48 P.M. ET:  Aside from the Minnesota race, other critical Senate races have yet to be decided, something that is being ignored in all the hoopla over Barack Obama.  In Georgia, there may have to be a runoff to decide whether Republican Saxby Chandliss keeps his seat.  In Alaska, embarrasing Republican Senator Ted Stevens may have kept his seat, even after his recent conviction.  Final results not known.  In Oregon, presumably Republican Gordon Smith, who has distanced himself from President Bush, is tied with his Democratic challenger, with 70 percent of the vote counted.  Even if Smith hangs on, he will vote more as an independent than a Republican.

Chambliss is expected to win any recount.  Stevens, even if he wins, may have to resign, given his legal woes.  (Alaska hasn't polished its reputation by reelecting a convicted man.)  Then, Governor Sarah Palin will appoint a successor.  (I have a scheming scenario for that, but we'll save it for another time.)

UPDATE AT 5:12 P.M. ET: There is still no declared winner in the Minnesota Senate race, as AP reports:

MINNEAPOLIS – Republican Norm Coleman finished ahead of Democrat Al Franken in one of Minnesota's tightest Senate elections ever, but the margin was so slim it triggered an automatic recount.

Of nearly 2.9 million ballots cast, Coleman led Franken by 727 votes in unofficial returns from the Minnesota secretary of state. Coleman had 1,211,628 votes, or 42.03 percent; Franken had 1,210,901 votes, or 42.01 percent.

The recount won't begin until mid-November and can stretch into December.  We hope Coleman, a fine senator, wins his race and saves Minnesota from embarrassment.

WARM TRIBUTE

Posted at 9:54 a.m. ET

As we've reported, there's a flood of pompous pieces coming from the international press this morning, as our European betters tap us politely on the head, saying, "You Yanks are growing up, just like us." 

Leave it to a good, solid Aussie writer like Greg Sheridan to have the thoughtfulness to pay a deserved tribute to this country, in the wake of Obama's election.

SO now we know for sure. The Noam Chomsky-John Pilger-Phillip Adams view of America is wrong. In George W. Bush's America, a land allegedly rife with militarism and racism, the white military hero lost and the black memoirist won a slashing election victory.

Well said.  But never underestimate the financial lure of anti-Americanism.  Those three unworthies will be back at the same old stand.

It is indeed a wonderful thing for the US to have its first black president. No African-American child need ever fear there is any limit to what they can achieve. Whatever you think of Obama's policies and capacity to govern well -- and I have my doubts -- his election is a powerful symbol of America's inclusiveness and opportunity. Which other big, rich, predominantly white society has elected a member of a racial minority to be its head of government? Not Australia.

So as we salute Obama, let's salute America as well.

The left liberal caricature of America was always nonsense. The militarism of American society is vastly overstated, just as its profound willingness to make sacrifice for other people's freedom is under-appreciated.

And...

Similarly on race, the dynamic has been the opposite of the left liberal caricature of America for a long time. As Shelby Steele has argued, America has been ready for years to elect a black president. Of all the exit polls CNN conducted, perhaps the most revealing was the one that found only 20 per cent of Americans believed race was an important factor in how they voted. And a clear majority of those people voted for Obama.

But Obama's win must be put into perspective:

John McCain surely did just about as well as any Republican could have. He certainly made mistakes. But at the time of writing the popular vote was about 52 per cent to 47 per cent. That means Obama got about 1per cent more than Bush did four years ago. This was no landslide comparable to Ronald Reagan's victory of 1980, Richard Nixon's in 1972 or Lyndon Johnson's in 1964.

He is correct, but look at some of the hysterical reporting.  You'd think George Washington was elected.

Obama cannot govern by dint of his exotic identity or smooth talking. But these features will afford one advantage. At least temporarily, and perhaps for quite some time, the routine, stupid and dully uninformed anti-Americanism of many opinion makers around the world will be untenable. But all that will be less important than how Obama decides to govern. History here has plenty of cautionary lessons. The US political system works around checks and balances. History tells us that when one party controls the presidency, the Senate and the House of Representatives, it is often pretty ugly. There is overwhelming evidence that unified government in Washington spends and taxes more than a divided government, and that will be a temptation for Obama and congressional leaders.

Correct again.

But at this stage we have no idea of how Obama will govern. The first real sign will come when he appoints his cabinet. Then perhaps we can answer the question this long campaign has so far not addressed: politically, who is Barack Obama?

Ah, the question of the era.

November 5, 2008.      Permalink          

UPDATE AT 9:09 A.M. ET:   MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Republican Norm Coleman outlasted Democrat Al Franken in one of Minnesota's tightest Senate elections ever, squeaking past the former comedian early Wednesday by a margin that appeared certain to trigger a recount.  With 4,129 of 4,130 precincts reporting, Coleman led Franken by 762 votes out of nearly 2.9 million cast. Coleman had 1,210,790 votes, or 42.03 percent, to Franken's 1,210,028 votes, or 42 percent.

THE NEW PRESIDENT

Posted at 7:59 a.m. ET

Of course we're disappointed.  We need to get over it quickly.  There are these things to be done:

First, we greet the president-elect, whose acceptance speech was eloquent. We wish him every success, while reserving the right to define what the word means.

Second, we make our feelings known - about policies and appointments.  This is the time for participation, not silence.  We are citizens, no matter who we supported.

Third, we avoid internecine warfare on our side.  It is a moment for planning and thoughtful debate.  Blame games are just that - games.  Games never get you anywhere, unless you're in a casino.

Fourth, we recognize that there'll be another election in two years.  Between Bill Clinton's election in 1992, and the midterms of 1994, the GOP was essentially reborn.  It was so successful in the 1994 elections that President Clinton, at a news conference, had to argue that he was still relevant.

Fifth, we constantly remind ourselves, and our leaders, that foreign threats trump anything else.  We must never be distracted, no matter how great our domestic challenges.

Sixth, we don't become what the Democrats became out of office - a bitter party, wallowing in conspiracy theories.  We don't want to see directed at Mr. Obama the irrational, destructive hatred that was showered on President Bush.

The new president takes the oath in two and a half months.  In that time he will appoint a number of officials.  The quality of the appointments will tell us much about the character of the new administration.  Mr. Obama said he would preside in a spirit of bipartisanship.  Of course, they always say that.  If he appoints Republicans to his cabinet, however, let us hope they are real Republicans, not marshmallows or Republicans in Name Only, or Republicans who helped Mr. Obama get elected.

There are four key cabinet posts - State, Defense, Treasury, and Attorney-general.  Mr. Obama's secretary of state should be a strong, firm individual who knows the department well, and who will not be buried by its deadening bureaucracy.  It should also be a person who will represent this country's interest first and foremost, without shame or excuse.  The defense secretary should be someone identified with strengthening defense, not a weak reed who will gladly preside over a diminished force.  Treasury, in the short term, may be the most crucial appointment of all.  Let's see if Obama has the courage to appoint someone like Larry Summers, who held the post under Clinton, but who was forced out of the presidency of Harvard in an orgy of dishonest political correctness. 

Because Obama comes from the Chicago political machine, we will watch to see if his attorney-general is an independent force for justice, or someone appointed to protect the president's legal flank.  In a way, it is the most symbolic appointment.  President-elect Kennedy's first blunder was appointing his brother as attorney-general, subjecting the new president to ridicule and contempt.  The appointment led to federal legislation banning such blatant nepotism. 

Today begins a new political era.  We are part of the loyal opposition.  How intelligently we proceed will determine how soon we have a victorious election, as in days we all remember.

November 5, 2008.      Permalink          

NOTE AT 7:15 A.M. ET:   We are certainly getting our predicted share of obnoxious journalism to go with some of the examples we featured yesterday.  We are now informed that something called "the world" is hailing Obama's victory.  Tell me, did they call you for a comment?  Are you part of the "world"?  Apparently not.  But that did not stop AFP from running this headline:

World hails Obama's 'brilliant' victory

At least they put quotes around "brilliant."  There are some standards left.

NOTE AT 6:57 A.M. ET:  Here is one of the best quotes I've seen on the election result, from Cliff May, president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies:

Give Obama his due: It is an exceptional politician who can win the support of Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, and Kenneth Duberstein, former chief of staff to President Reagan; of William Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist, and Christopher Buckley, son of William F. Buckley, founder of modern intellectual conservatism; of Rashid Khalidi, an Israel-hater, and Edgar Bronfman, former head of the World Jewish Congress. Here’s a not-very-bold prediction: A year from now, someone is going to be sorely disappointed.

UPDATE AT 6:28 A.M. ET:  In that Minnesota Senate race, pitting Republican incumbent Norm Coleman against comedian Al Franken, it appears that Coleman has squeezed out the narrowest of victories.  With 99 percent of the precincts counted, he's leading Franken 1,210,595 votes to 1,209,919, a difference of 676 votes.  This could change, but we hope not.

UPDATE AT 4:31 A.M. ET:  I think you'll want to know which pollsters got it right in their final polls, and which didn't.  Based on current Real Clear Politics reporting, Obama received 52 percent of the actual vote and McCain got 47 percent.  A five-point gap.

Winner of the on-the-button award - Celinda Lake of the Battleground poll, who got all the numbers exactly right.

Runners-up (a tie) - Rasmussen, who had Obama up six, 52 to 46; and Pew research, which reported the same.

Worst performers:  Zogby, who had Obama winning, 54-43, an 11-point gap; and Gallup, which had Obama up, 55-44, also an 11-point gap.