I am proud to be an American this day.
The Democratic nominee for president is by all appearances an intelligent and capable person who seems able to deal with the opposition in a forthright manner.
And the fact that he’s African-American is tremendously important to me as a symbol of how things have changed.
If Hillary had been the candidate, I would have been equally proud. I’m glad it’s not Hillary though.
Now. To the election. There’s a long way before November, but some wildly optimistic and perhaps inaccurate predictions are in order.
I predict that Obama will beat McCain in a landslide on the order of Reagan/Mondale. Junior has damaged the brand irreparably, and McCain’s cranky old man schtick will play unfavourably against Obama’s charisma and knowledge.
I say Obama gets 521 electoral votes to McCain’s 17. (The seventeen votes will come from Utah, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.)
Obama will get 52% of the popular vote, to McCain’s 42%.
Your predictions for posterity in comments. Both the electoral votes and the popular vote, if you please. Or just wax rhapsodic about your favourite candidate.
5 June 2008 at 11:27 pm
Here here – the winds of change are a blowing and I can’t wait to see McCain fall out of the tree!!!
6 June 2008 at 12:48 am
I’ll put down for posperity:
338 Obama 200 McBush
59% 37%
********************
I almost cried watching Obama’s speach following McBush’s speach. I think we may actually have a statesman again. Now I just have to fight my own cynicism of my fellow Americans that is a hangover from the 2004 election.
6 June 2008 at 2:06 am
I fully admit that this is a lazy cop out but I think in the end it will be somewhere between Jeffrey and Daniels predictions (Arizona and Florida to McCain). The more I think about it, the more the likelyhood of a landslide seems possible though, there have been 20 million new voters from last primary season, that is massive. The fresh approach of Obama is probably responsible for a large chunk of that. The prospect of the general election and the opportunity to elect a truly historic candidate will put even more people on the rolls. I think the Hispanic vote will be one I’ll be keenly interested in.
Personally, I want to see a Obama/Richardson ticket! Bill’s experience with international diplomacy would be a great asset in the White House. Maybe even better though as a SofS.
The second that someone can provoke McCain’s notorious temper, this game show is OVAH! Also,Obama needs to loosen up a bit, he’s getting a bit wooden.
6 June 2008 at 4:32 pm
Ted: I really like Richardson too. One nice thing this year is that I liked many of the dems field. I wonder if McBush goes for Lieberman if Obama will go for Webb. Those would be some strange tickets.
Also, I still haven’t heard anyone speak to the fact that Obama just beat the Clinton election machine. Thats something that crushed the republicans even when they did have favorable ratings. Another huge show of strength.
6 June 2008 at 9:44 pm
McCain will win. Unfortunately America as a whole (the younger population is but they don’t vote in sufficent numbers) is not ready to elect someone non-white yet. Maybe in another a generation or two after the current seniors are gone.
22 October 2008 at 5:42 pm
ok, prediction time is coming up. In 2 weeks we will know who was closer.