Apr 20 2009
The 2008 elections signal an evolution in voters
The 2008 elections were important. Today, the data from the elections is still being studied. One of the things that bothers some political scientists is how to differentiate those who voted for President Obama because of what he stands for and who he is, versus those who voted for him because he was “Not Bush.” The slogan of the Obama campaign “Change” was symbolic of the mood of many voters in the country - they wanted a “not Bush” and the Republicans were “with Bush” so they voted against the Republican candidate rather than for the Democratic candidate.
There is much to be said for the voters’ willingness to elect an African-American candidate. There was an uproar nearly 50 years ago when a white, Catholic man wanted to become president. You didn’t see the same uproar about an African-American man. That shows an evolution in the attitude of voters. There was still a lot of backlash along religious lines - mainly for Romney, a Mormon candidate - that shows America has become more open to racial differences than religious differences.
California still has not elected anything but a white, male for the post of governor. Maybe the election of President Obama will tell California voters that it is okay for something other than a white man to be in charge. The 2008 elections signaled an evolution, a showing that the American people don’t seperate on the basis of race so much as they seperate along party lines, based on jobs and occupations, and religious lines. This is an evolution form the 60’s - and one that has needed to happen for a long time.
