Congratulations Barack Obama!

I want to wish Barack Obama and his supporters my sincerest congratulations on his victory over John McCain. The Obama campaign will go down as one of the most effectively run political operations in American history and the victory was well desserved. The McCain campaign will likely go down as one of the most incompetent. The truth is, however, that any Republican would have faced a daunting task of running for president following the highly unpopular President Bush, whose approval rating now hovers in the mid 20's. McCAin's ability to garner over 47% of the national popular vote as well as win many states shows that the Republican party and the right are alive and well in the USA. Furthermore, Democratic gains in the House and Senate proved significant, though hardly overwhelming, as the Democrats fell short of a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate. So all in all, it could have been a lot worse.
The Obama Administration and the Democratic Congress will signal the first time since 1994 that the Democrats controlled the presidency and both houses of Congress. Last time the Democrats had full control, the Clinton universal healthcare debacle ensued, leading to the massive Republican Congressional victories of 1994 and the so-called "Contract with America." Whether or not such an immediate backlash will occur against this Democratic monolith, time will tell. If Barack Obama can retain some of the centrism that helped him win the White House, it is likely that he and his party will lead the country for years to come given the current unpopularity of Republicans. If, however, and it worries me, the government takes a massive turn towards the left, a great conservative backlash will ensue in the 2010 Congressional elections, mark my words. This is still a conservative country though we wanted change during a time of crisis. That change is coming. May it be change for the better.