As long predicted, the polls and Nate Silver and even me here, were spot on. President Obama was re-elected. The simple truth is that every candidate the Republicans put forth were no match for Obama. And, more important, the voters in America are far more diverse, involved and attentive than Republicans seem to understand.
"But when it comes to key demographics, the electorate actually likely skewed more Democratic/liberal than in 2008.
The electorate was less white (from 74 percent in 2008 to 72 percent
this year), more Latino (9 percent to 10 percent), just as
African-American (13 percent to 13 percent), more female (53 percent to
54 percent), more low-income (38 percent making less than $50,000 in
2008 to 41 percent Tuesday) and — perhaps most remarkably, younger (18
percent to 19 percent).
It all suggests that Obama’s laser-like focus on turning out each of
his key constituencies — minorities, women and young people — paid
dividends.
And in many cases, these groups backed him as much or more as in 2008.
Women gave Obama 55 percent of the vote and low-income voters gave him 60 percent, about the same as four years ago.
Latinos gave Obama 67 percent of their vote four years ago, and 71 percent on Tuesday.
And Democrats supported Obama even more than they did four years ago,
with his share of the Democratic vote rising from 89 percent to 92
percent."
The work Obama was first elected to perform - healing the massive economic collapse brought about during the 2000s - is a long, arduous task. It will take much of the next four years to correct, and if Congress continues to stall and block recovery and reform efforts, then look for Democrats to have the advantage in elections in 2014 and 2016. However, since most of the Congress elected yesterday are the same folks who blocked Obama's first efforts, it can also be said that voters don't want to give Obama a free hand to do anything he wants. Or maybe we just like the idea that a stalled Congress is one that moves very, very slowly.
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