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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 5 2008, 6:25 PM EST | echerlin | 21 words added, 2 words deleted |
| Nov 5 2008, 6:21 PM EST | echerlin | 17 words added, 3 words deleted |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
"The good news is, we won. The bad news is, we won."
Election Day is over, and President-Elect Barack Obama has won decisively, as shown on the polls page. But the elections are not all over, and we have to look at where we go from here.
Elections
We know that Obama won in a landslide, but not all of the Electoral College votes have been decided.
Transition
Obama has offered Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago) the position of White House Chief of Staff, and Emanuel has accepted.
No word on Cabinet posts.
The transition team has to identify several thousand people to appoint to various positions in the Executive Branch.
We can expect some policy speeches soon, and plenty of public discussion of the Congressional agenda.
What next?
W is a lame duck President, but still has authority to do a number of things for good or ill. He is negotiating a Status of Forces Agreement for Iraq with a timetable for withdrawal, exactly as Obama proposed. Republicans ridiculed the idea right up to the moment they did it. Watch for last-minute environmental regulations and Presidential pardons, among other things.
What are the other big issues?
Election Day is over, and President-Elect Barack Obama has won decisively, as shown on the polls page. But the elections are not all over, and we have to look at where we go from here.
Elections
We know that Obama won in a landslide, but not all of the Electoral College votes have been decided.
- Missouri, called by some for McCain but quite close, 11 votes
- Nebraska, 1st district, 1 vote
- North Carolina, 15 votes
- AK, Mark Begich (D), Ted Stevens (R), conflictingtoo close to call, 40,000 reports.ballots still to count. If Stevens wins, he will almost certainly have to resign, and AK Gov. Sarah Palin will decide what to do next, that is, whether to appoint his successor or have a special election. It is not expected that she would appoint herself to the Senate.
- GA, Jim Martin (D), Saxby Chandliss (R), runoff on Dec. 2
- MN, Al Franken, (D), Norm Coleman (R), Dean Barkley (I), too close to call, mandatory recount.
Transition
Obama has offered Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago) the position of White House Chief of Staff, and Emanuel has accepted.
No word on Cabinet posts.
The transition team has to identify several thousand people to appoint to various positions in the Executive Branch.
We can expect some policy speeches soon, and plenty of public discussion of the Congressional agenda.
What next?
W is a lame duck President, but still has authority to do a number of things for good or ill. He is negotiating a Status of Forces Agreement for Iraq with a timetable for withdrawal, exactly as Obama proposed. Republicans ridiculed the idea right up to the moment they did it. Watch for last-minute environmental regulations and Presidential pardons, among other things.
What are the other big issues?
- The economy, stupid. ^_^ Rescue homebuyers, re-regulate Wall Street, restore competition and transparency to markets, undo Bush tax cuts, let workers and middle class have a share of economic growth,...
- Trade. Free for corporations but not for people doesn't count.
- Environment. Renewable energy (to combat Global Warming, and for security), reregulate pollution,...
- Immigration. A path to citizenship. Help countries so that their citizens will not have to flee in search of jobs.
- Afghanistan, Pakistan, Al Qaeda, Taleban
- "Rogue states" and failed states: Iran, North Korea, Burma, Cuba, Sudan, Congo, Somalia,...
- Foreign aid. Obama proposed doubling US foreign aid, including a $2 billion annual Global Education Fund.
- Supreme Court. Obama could have the opportunity to appoint three Justices.
