Political Buzz June 10, 2011: Sarah Palin’s Emails as Alaska Governor Released

POLITICAL BUZZ

By Bonnie K. Goodman

Ms. Goodman is the Editor of History Musings. She has a BA in History & Art History & a Masters in Library and Information Studies from McGill University, and has done graduate work in history at Concordia University.

IN FOCUS: SARAH PALIN’S EMAILS AS ALASKA GOVERNOR RELEASED

Reporters load boxes containing thousands of pages of Sarah Palin's emails from her time as Alaska's governor Friday, June 10, 2011 in Juneau, Alaska.

Brian Wallace/Associated PressReporters loaded boxes containing thousands of pages of Sarah Palin’s e-mails from her time as Alaska’s governor on Friday in Juneau.

HEADLINES…

Read the Palin emails: Here are all of the state government emails of former Gov. Sarah Palin that were released on Friday by the state of Alaska. The state released them as mor than 24,000 pages of paper; we’ve scanned them into a series of searchable PDFs in roughly chronological order. They are big files – up to 30MB – so may take some time to download…. – Anchorage Daily News, 6-10-11
Full coverage: Sarah Palin’s e-mails released – WaPo
Read Sarah Palin’s emails – LAT
The Palin E-Mails: A collection of e-mails between Sarah and Todd Palin and Alaska public officials during Ms. Palin’s first 22 months as governor. The messages were originally requested under state public records laws in 2008. The documents were released on Friday, June 10, at 9 a.m. Alaska time. E-mails are organized by the date of each conversation. The New York Times has redacted some e-mails to remove offensive language…. – NYT
Sarah Palin emails: The Alaska archive – who’s who: Nearly 25,000 pages worth of Sarah Palin’s emails from her tenure as governor are being released by the state of Alaska, spanning the start of her term in December 2006 to shortly after she was named Arizona Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential running mate in September 2008. Below is a guide to Palin confidants, critics and family members likely to appear in the correspondence…. – KTUU, 6-10-11
Glossary of Abbreviations: Following are abbreviations and acronyms found in the trove of Governor Palin’s e-mails released on Friday. – NYT
The Top Ten Revelations from the Sarah Palin Emails: At 8:37 a.m. Saturday morning, the New York Times tweeted “After scanning marathon, all 24,000 #palinemail documents are in our searchable, interactive viewer.” Regardless of whether you thought the Palin email trove was a waste of time like many, or were obsessively live-blogging the events like us, you can’t deny that the massive scanning and crowdsourcing of document review by major news outlets was a tremendous accomplishment. While revelations from the cache may continue to trickle in over the weekend, at this point the bulk of the emails have been combed through, and this is what we now know about Palin that we didn’t (necessarily) know before…. – The Atlantic Wire, 6-10-11
Five Discoveries from the Sarah Palin E-Mail Dump – Time 6-10-11
In E-Mails, a Glimpse From Inside Palin’s Rise: Few could have been more surprised than Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska when Senator John McCain picked her as his running mate in 2008.
Reporters in Juneau, Alaska, picking up boxes of hard copies of Sarah Palin’s e-mails on Friday.
“Can you believe it!” she wrote in response to a staff member’s “Wow governor” message that Friday in late August when the choice was announced. “He told me yesterday — it moved fast! Pray! I love you.”
Not two days earlier, Ms. Palin had been dealing with the sometimes mundane matters of one of the nation’s least populous states: a ballot initiative on mining, thorny personnel issues involving her ex-brother-in-law, and her personal request for “Alaska pins and governor pencils (or pens) to drop off at gladys wood elem school today after my afl cio speech.”
A scan of Ms. Palin’s e-mails in the weeks just before and after she was chosen as Mr. McCain’s running mate on the Republican ticket — among some 24,000 pages of them released by the State of Alaska on Friday — show in minute detail how she went overnight from being a small-state governor who was midway through her first term to a dominant figure in Republican politics.
One moment she was immersed in board appointments and the Miss Alaska beauty pageant, the next she was receiving advice from the likes of Newt Gingrich and fielding questions from the national news media, including whether she believed that dinosaurs and humans had walked the earth together…. – NYT, 6-10-11
Sarah Palin e-mails released on Friday: A cache of e-mails released Friday add vivid new color and fresh details to the complicated public portrait of Sarah Palin, who displayed many of the same strengths, and shortcomings, as Alaska governor that she would later bring to the national political stage.
Often blunt and frequently impatient, Palin derided “old school” politicians and bureaucrats and acted as a champion of populist interests on issues ranging from energy policy to women’s rights, the e-mails show. Her relations with fellow politicians, including many Republicans, were often strained, and she relied heavily on her husband, Todd, and a close-knit group of aides to help cope with crises and shape policies.
Palin felt passionately about issues of importance to her state, the documents show, and she waged battle with foes large and small. That included detractors on obscure government commissions as well as multinational conglomerates seeking access to Alaska’s vast oil and gas reserves. She twice refers to one major oil executive with a derogatory nickname and complains that phone calls with him did not go well.
Palin also devoted significant attention to the portrayal of her and her administration in the press, regularly decrying “untruths” in media reports and working feverishly to push back on negative assertions. Targets of her ire ranged from mainstream newspapers to commenters on local blogs….
The e-mails — some 24,000 pages total — were released in response to public-information requests from media organizations, who first began asking for the records during Palin’s run as the Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008. More than two years later, Palin has become a fixture in the conservative political firmament, a reality-TV celebrity and a barbed critic of President Obama who may, or may not, be pondering a run for the White House…. – WaPo, 6-10-11
News Outlets Pounce on Palin E-Mails: Reporters load boxes containing thousands of pages of Sarah Palin’s emails from her time as Alaska’s governor Friday, June 10, 2011 in Juneau, Alaska. Brian Wallace/Associated PressReporters loaded boxes containing thousands of pages of Sarah Palin’s e-mails from her time as Alaska’s governor on Friday in Juneau.
News organizations that pored over nearly 25,000 pages of e-mail correspondence relating to Sarah Palin on Friday focused on her selection as Senator John McCain’s running mate in 2008, her relationship with the media and her style of governing.
Many news outlets — what Ms. Palin, the former governor of Alaska, calls the “lamestream media” — sent reporters to Juneau for the release of the e-mails by the state government in response to Freedom of Information Act requests.
The result? After a day of frantically poring over the correspondence, with the help of millions of online readers, there were no major revelations but plenty of attempts to dissect the background of a woman who might yet run for president…. – NYT, 6-11-11
Palin emails show engaged leader who sought VP nod: There are no bombshells, no “gotcha” moments. The emails of Sarah Palin — more than 24,000 pages of them released Friday by the state of Alaska from her first two years as governor — paint a picture of an image-conscious, driven leader, closely involved with the day-to-day duties of running the state and riding herd on the signature issues of her administration.
She angled for the vice presidential nomination months before John McCain picked her — and hinted at presidential aspirations.
The messages give a behind-the-scenes look at a politician who burst onto the national stage after serving as Wasilla mayor and less than two years as Alaska governor. They show a woman striving to balance work and home, fiercely protective of her family and highly sensitive to media coverage. She expressed a sometimes mothering side with aides but also was quick to demand answers or accountability…. – AP, 6-10-11
Palin E-Mails Show Her Combative and Engaged: In the three years since Sarah Palin stormed the national political stage, her brief tenure as governor of Alaska has often been reduced to caricature. Critics cast her as petty, preoccupied and disengaged. Supporters say she was a maverick reformer, a salt-of-the-earth true believer who bucked the establishment elite.
Yet what is clear in the 24,000 pages of her e-mails released Friday — completing Ms. Palin’s transformation from one of the most obscure politicians in America to one of the most scrutinized — is that her governing style was not necessarily an either-or proposition. Sometimes she seemed to be everything all at once.
She sought to be an encouraging leader one moment, lauding her team for a breakthrough on oil production: “You guys are doing awesome.” She could be distrustful and accusatory the next: “I can’t handle staffer leaks.” She would focus on the progress of substantive legislation, including supporting a major increase in oil taxes, but then become distracted by “un-flippin believable” criticism directed at her by a popular radio host…. – NYT, 6-11-11
Sarah Palin emails released from time as governor – but many withheld or redacted: After a years-long delay, the state of Alaska released more than 24,000 pages of emails from about 21 months of Sarah Palin’s time as Alaska governor on Friday.
The emails were released as paper printouts to the media outlets that requested them, among them CBS News, which had a reporter in Juneau collecting the heavy boxes of emails. Media outlets paid $725 each for photocopies of the records.
Journalists are now busy reviewing the emails for nuggets of information from Palin’s roughly half-term as Alaska governor, though the emails stop in September 2008, leaving almost of a year of her time in office uncovered. The state has said it has not finished reviewing the emails from late 2008 through the summer of 2009, when she abruptly resigned. It remains unclear when those emails will be released…. – CBS News, 6-10-11 — Check out the full collection of emails and documents here.
Sarah Palin emails: ‘The false assumptions are mind boggling’: Email conversations reveal pressure the former Alaska governor was under after she entered the vice-presidential race in 2008…. – Guardian UK, 6-10-11
Palin closely guarded her public image, emails show: Even before she became prominent in national politics, Sarah Palin defended herself against even the slightest criticism during her tenure as Alaska governor, newly released correspondence shows…. – LAT, 6-11-11
Media frenzy over Palin e-mail release was unusual even for her: The 13,000 Sarah Palin e-mails released Friday provided little new insight about her time as Alaska’s governor. But the frantic effort to obtain the messages, dissect them and post them online served as a watershed moment for the news media, whose zealous approach will no doubt be replicated on future stories.
The spectacle on Friday was unusual even for Palin, who is known for her ability to inspire a media frenzy. Eager to be the first to post the messages online, news outlets — including The Post — dispatched reporters armed with scanners to Juneau for the 9 a.m. release of the e-mails, which were not distributed electronically but in stacks of printed paper.
Back in their newsrooms, the outlets competed to get the documents online for the public first and to capture the coveted top spot on Google. Reporters tweeted every new revelation, from 7-year-old Piper Palin’s anxiety that her mother was leaving for another trip, to the governor’s outraged notes over the scandal known as “Troopergate.” And they “crowdsourced” the documents by inviting readers to assist in scouring the e-mails.
The enormous effort drew criticism from some quarters, particularly Palin’s backers. Though Palin remains a very public figure, she is not in elective office and has said she has not decided if she will seek the Republican nomination for president next year…. – WaPo, 6-11-11
Sarah Palin e-mails show husband Todd’s key role: Sarah Palin’s reliance on her husband for counsel while governing the state is well-known; Todd Palin played a key role in helping to organize the controversial ouster of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan in September 2008, for example.
In a March 2008 e-mail, Sarah Palin makes clear that Todd also weighed in on how to deal with Alaska’s burgeoning wolf population, a topic of debate at the time among officials and environmental experts. The governor told her fish and game commissioner in blunt terms that she opposed using state helicopters to hunt wolves and preferred paying private hunters. WaPo, 6-10-11
Sarah Palin emails hint at her governing style: In her time as governor, Sarah Palin was lavish with praise at times, quick to criticize her aides and also unapologetically impulsive.
In one exchange, Palin aide Bruce Anders said he worried that her very gushing praise for an op-ed writer’s piece in support of her oil and gas policies would eventually become public. Palin said she was happy to provide an “attaboy” to writer Jomo Stewart, and said she wouldn’t apologize for going with her gut…. – WaPO, 6-10-11
Does Sarah Palin have a way with words? You bet – we ain’t misinformed Raft of previously unreleased emails reveal a unique style of communication and use of language: Sarah Palin may have numerous faults, but if the 24,000 pages of her emails released to the media in Alaska are anything to go by, adopting an artificial manner in public is not one of them.
Her unique style of communication – a key component of her appeal to her fans, and source of endless fascination and amusement to her detractors – is as evident in her behind-the-scenes interactions as in her on-stage ones…. – The Guardian UK, 6-11-11
Sarah Palin emails: Treasure trove or waste of paper?: So far, there are no bombshells in the thousands of Sarah Palin emails released this week. But they reveal a fuller, more nuanced picture of one of the most powerful and controversial women in US politics today…. – CS Monitor, 6-10-11
Sarah Palin emails: An outpouring of support after Trig’s birth: In the days after her son Trig was born, Sarah Palin received an outpouring of support and well wishes, many from other parents of children with Down syndrome…. – LAT, 6-11-11
Email shows George W. Bush joked with Sarah Palin: Among the people talking up a vice presidential run to Sarah Palin before she was picked: George W. Bush.
Palin wrote her chief of staff Mike Nizich about an encounter she had with the then-president in early August — about a month before John McCain selected her as the running mate.
“The [president] and I spoke about military, [including] Track’s deployment and how Iraq is a different place than it was a year ago,” Palin wrote Nizich. “He also spoke about (and we joked about) VP buzz.”… – Politico, 6-11-11
Emails Show Palin Surprised by Nomination: Sarah Palin’s rapid transformation from a little-known governor to the vice presidential nominee on the 2008 Republican ticket was as much of a surprise to her as it was to the rest of the U.S., her email messages from the time show.
“Can you flippinbelieveit?!” she replied to a note of congratulations from an official in her administration. “Thanks for your kind words – and for keeping the homes fire burning. Thank you! We love you guys!”
The state of Alaska released more than 24,000 pages of email messages Friday sent to and from Ms. Palin during most of her tenure as governor. The messages show few signs of contact between her and national Republicans before she was announced as Sen. John McCain’s running mate on Aug. 29, 2008, or that she saw herself as a likely candidate…. – WSJ, 6-11-11
Sarah Palin emails: Aides giddy at prospect of VP pick: As Sarah Palin pushed for a one-year repeal of the state’s fuel tax in June of 2008, her jubilant aides crowed that the move would boost her standing as a possible vice presidential pick for Sen. John McCain…. – LAT, 6-11-11

SARAH PALIN EMAIL QUOTES

On Troopergate and the ethics investigations against her:
“I do applogize if I sound frustrated w this one. I guess I am. Its killing me to realise how misinformed leggies [legislators], reporters and others are on this issue. The accusations and false assumptions are mind boggling.
Referring to her former brother-in-law, Mike Wooten, who was in a messy divorce with her sister:
“He’s still a trooper, and he still carries a gun, and he still tells anyone who will listen that he will ‘never work for that b*itch’ (me) because he has such anger and distain towards family. So consistency is needed here. No one’s above the law. If the law needs to be changed to not allow access to guns for people threatening to kill someone, it must apply to everyone.”
On God’s guidance: “I have been praying for wisdom on this … God will have to show me what to do on the people’s budget because I don’t yet know the right path … He will show me though.”
On her battles with Alaskan lawmakers over the budget:
“I’m back here in DC speaking with Cheney [the vice-president] (sat with him the entire State dinner last night), will try to speak w/Bush [the then president] today … speaking with national reporters and all these governors all about AK’s [Alaska] proof that we can provide sound oversight of resource development, and here while I’m away I find out the legislature may undermine those efforts? It’s unacceptable if the nation is to believe we’re capable of responsible, ethical ramped up development that’s need in our state, for our nation. Referring to speaker of the Alaskan house, John Harris:
“I think that’s the most stupid comment I’ve heard all year … his statement says it all re: his beliefs: ‘What the hell can we do …?’ Nice talk Mr Speaker, Reflects well on your commitment to ethical leadership”
On her possible selection to be vice-presidential candidate: “The Pres [George Bush] and I spoke about military. He also spoke about (and we joked about) VP buzz.”
On Barack Obama: “… a guy named Barack Obama.” email from February 2007:
“He gave a great speech this morn in Michigan – mentioned Alaska. Stole ou[r] Energy Rebate $1,000 check idea, stole our TC-Alaska gasline talking points, etc. So … we need to take advantage of this a[nd] write a statement saying he’s right on.”
On false rumour that Trig, Palin’s fifth child, was in fact born by her daughter Bristol:“Hate to pick this one up again, but have heard three different times today the rumor again the Bristol is pregnant or had this baby. Even at Trig’s doc appt this morning his doc said that’s out there (hopefully NOT in their medical community-world, but it’s out there). Bristol called again this afternoon asking if there’s anything we can do to stop this as she receive two girlfriend-type calls today asking if it were true.”
On bear hunting: “I am a hunter. I grew up hunting – some of my best memories growing up are of hunting with my dad to help feel our freezer… I want Alaskans to have access to wildlife… BUT – he’s asking if I support hunting the bears in the sanctuary? No, I don’t… I don’t know any Alaskans who do support hunting the McNeil bears that frequent the viewing area.”
Palin-speak: “Keep hunting, keep being a true Alaskan… keep calling it as you see it – we love the mobster in ya.”
- to her chief of staff, Michael Nizich: “Tibs [chief of staff Michael Tibbles] is going to be p#*(ed.”
“Holy flipping A.”
‘Unflippinbelievable.”
On the pressures for her family: “Guys, I may be pretty wimpy about this family stuff, but I feel like I’m at the breaking point with the hurtful gossip … I hate this part of the job and many days I feel like it’s not worth it.”

SARAH PALIN EMAILS: FULL TEXT

Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech: November 4 2008 Video & Mp3

Nov13

Barack Obama’s First Speech as U.S. President-Elect

Barack Obama Acceptance Speech: Transcript, Download Mp3

John mcCain Concession Speech: Transcript, Download Mp3

Text & Video Source: Ace Showbiz

Live from Chicago’s Grant Park, Barack Obama gives his first speech as the 44th president of United States. Few hours after he officially won the election over Republican John McCain, Obama ascends the stage to thank all Americans who have put the trust in him to make a change in the country.

Together with his wife, Michelle and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha, Obama took center stage, applauded and cheered by the audience. He becomes the first African-American to be elected as the U.S. president. On making such history, Obama opened his speech, saying “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”

Obama goes on thanking all the people that have supported him, including his family and his campaign manager David Plouffe. Among the people spotted in the huge crowd are actor Brad Pitt, and a tearful Oprah Winfrey who had endorsed the president on her famous talk show.

He also calls out to those who do not vote for him “I may not have won your votes tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help and I will be your president too,” he said.

Obama’s Victory Speech at Chicago’s Grant Park on Election Night

Barack Obama Presidential Victory Speech Part 1/3 [HD] 2008

Barack Obama Presidential Victory Speech Part 2/3 [HD] 2008

Barack Obama Presidential Victory Speech Part 3/3 [HD] 2008

Election Day History: 1980-2008

Nov11

Past Elections

Ronald Reagan, 40th President (1981-1989)

1980

President-elect Ronald Reagan gives the thumbs-up sign in this ...

Nov. 5, 1980: President-elect Ronald Reagan gives the thumbs-up sign, as he leaves the podium after addressing supporters at his Los Angeles election headquarters. Reagan had a solid win over incumbent Jimmy Carter.

(AP Photo)

1984

Nov. 6, 1984: President Ronald Reagan gives a thumbs-up to supporters at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles as he celebrates his re-election, with first lady Nancy Reagan at his side. Reagan’s win over Walter Mondale, 525 to 13 in the electoral vote and 59 percent to 41 percent in popular votes, was unquestionably a landslide election.

(AP Photo/File)

George H.W. Bush, 41st President (1989-1993)

1988

Nov. 9, 1988: President-elect George H. W. Bush holds his hands up to acknowledge the crowds applause, and ask them to allow him to continue his speech during his victory rally with grandson, George P. Bush, right, and son, George W. Bush, left, in Houston, Texas. Bush trounced Michael Dukakis 426-111 in the electoral vote, but the popular vote was closer, 53 percent to 46 percent.

(AP Photo/File)

Bill Clinton, 42nd President (1993-2001)

1992

Nov. 3, 1992: President-elect Bill Clinton reaches into a crowd of supporters as his wife Hillary and Tipper Gore, right, cheer at the Old State House in Little Rock, Arkansas, after Clinton defeated President Bush in a landslide election.

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

1996

Nov. 5 1996: President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore raise their hands in front of the Old State House during an election night celebration in Little Rock, Ark., after winning a landslide re-election victory against Republican Robert Dole.

(AP Photo/David Longstreath)

George W. Bush, 43rd President (2001-2009)

2000

This is the fourth, and final, edition of the Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2000, issue of the Austin American-Statesman in Austin, Texas. The newspaper printed four different front pages throughout the night in order to keep up with the changing election results between presidential candidates Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore. The votes were too close to call in Florida leaving the state’s electoral votes and the entire election up in the air. After several recounts, and a court battle Al Gore finally conceded on December 13 2000. The Vice President had won the popular vote, but with Florida counted George W. Bush won the Electoral College vote and the election. (AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman)

2004

Nov. 3, 2004: President Bush shakes hands with Vice President Dick Cheney as the President’s daughter Jenna, center, looks on during a victory rally after winning reelection against the Democratic ticket, Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington.

(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

Barack Obama, 44th President (2009-)

2008

November 4 2008: U.S. Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) walks with his mother Jean (C) and his wife Jill (L) after casting their votes in the U.S. presidential election at the Tatnall School near Wilmington, Delaware. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008 (Reuters, USA)

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, and his wife Michelle, cast their votes at a polling place in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008.

Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin votes Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, at Wasilla City Hall in Wasilla, Alaska. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

U.S. Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ), his wife Cindy (C) and his son Jack (R) drop off their ballots at their polling place in Phoenix, Arizona November 4, 2008. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008 (Reuters. USA)

The Obamas on Election Night

The shots were taken by David Katz, Mr Obama’s longtime official photographer, who was given unrivalled access to the candidate and his team Photo: DAVID KATZ

Obama wins the Presidency!

Election victory dominates world's front pages

An internet user created the montage from front pages compiled by newseum.org

Barack Obama Wins the Presidency: Election Night Highlights

Nov5

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 2008 WATCH:

Barack Obama arrives on stage at his election night victory rally at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois.

Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty

Result Snapshot:

FROM CBS NEWS

Barack Obama: 349, 52%
John McCain: 160, 47%
Senate:
Democrats: 56, +5
Republicans: 40
House:
Democrats: 252, +17
Republicans: 173

Election Day on the Campaign Trail….

November 4, 2008: Obama plans voting, basketball and quick trip to Indiana on Election Day … Hoping for upset, McCain to campaign in Colorado, New Mexico … Tiny New Hampshire towns go for Obama over McCain in Election Day’s first votes – AP, 11-4-08

Thousands watched the election results on giant TV screens in Times Square. (Photo: James Estrin/ The New York Times)

The Results: Presidential Race

BARACK OBAMA, DEMOCRAT: 349
- California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Oregon, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin,
JOHN MCCAIN, REPUBLICAN: 160
- Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming.
Live Blogging Election Night – The NYT Caucus – NYT

The Results: Senate

Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Joe Biden, D-Del., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Richard Durbin, D-Ill., John Kerry, D-Mass., Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., Kay Hagan, D-N.C., James Inhofe, R-Okla., Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., Mark Warner, D-Va., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., Carl Levin, D-Mich., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Tom Udall, D-N.M., Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Max Baucus, D-Mont., Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Mike Johanns, R-Neb., Mark Udall, D-Colo., Jim Risch, R-Idaho – AP
Live Blogging the House and Senate Races – The NYT Caucus – NYT
Dems Snatch 4 GOP Seats In Senate Pickups In North Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire And New Mexico Add To Dems’ Senate Advantage – CBS News, 11-4-08
Democrats expand their control of U.S. Senate – CTV/AP, 11-4-08
Democrats snag Va. Senate seat, seek more gains – AP, 11-4-08
Hagan Ousts Dole From North Carolina Senate Seat, Networks Say – Bloomberg

The Results: HOUSE

Democrats capture Fla., Conn., NY seats in House – AP, 11-4-08
Democrats expand their control of U.S. Senate – AP/CTV, 11-4-08
Impact of Democrats’ gains in Congress – Reuters, 11-4-08
Both parties nail down safe House seats – AP, 11-4-08

Senator Barack Obama took the stage in Grant Park in Chicago with his wife and daughters. (Photo: Damon Winter/The New York Times)

The Results: GOVERNORS

John Lynch, D-N.H., Jack Markell, D-Del., Jay Nixon, D-Mo., John Hoeven, R-N.D., Jon Huntsman, R-Utah, Brian Schweitzer, D-Mont. – AP
Dems Pick Up Governor Seat Missouri Flips To Democrat; 11 Governorships Were Up For Grabs – CBS News, 11-4-08

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Supporters of Senator Barack Obama cheered during a rally in Chicago on Tuesday as they heard that he won in Pennsylvania. More Photos >

In the News…

Barack Obama Wins Presidency McCain Concedes As Democratic Nominee Takes Historic Victory; “A New Dawn Of American Leadership Is At Hand,” Obama Says – CBS News, 11-4-08
John McCain concedes; congratulates Barack Obama on victory – NY Daily News, 11-4-08
INSTANT VIEW: World leaders’ quotes on Obama election win – Reuters, 11-4-08
Sen. Obama Projected to Win the Presidency – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
President-Elect Obama With a smashing victory, Illinois senator leads a Democratic takeover of national politics – Newsweek, 11-5-08
Celebration and Sense of History at Chicago Party – N”YT, 11-5-08
Editorial President Barack Obama – NYT, 11-5-08
Essay: Obama’s transcendence is beyond race – Fox News, 11-4-08
John McCain’s White House bid: What went wrong? – CTV News, 11-4-08
Which Barack Obama will govern? – LA Times, 11-4-08
Barack Obama Elected President with Mandate for Change – Time, 11-4-08
Obama becomes first black president in landslide – AP, 11-4-08
Obama Wins Election – NYT, 11-4-08
Obama wins historic election – Boston Globe, 11-4-08
Obama triumphs, will be first black US president – AP, 11-4-08
Obama wins, first black to gain White House – AP, 11-4-08
Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States – LA TImes, 11-4-08
Obama captures electoral prize of California – Reuters, 11-4-08
Obama Projected to Capture Second Vital Win in Ohio – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
Number of Battleground States Too Close to Call – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
Barack Obama’s historic victory within grasp – CTV, 11-4-08
Obama’s hometown giddy with prospect of victory – AP, 11-4-08
Barack Obama takes early lead; key races tight – CTV
Obama carries Pa, widens lead against McCain – AP, 11-4-08
Bush stays out of sight on Election Day – AP, 11-4-08
Obama wins Vermont, McCain Kentucky as tallies come in – AP, 11-4-08
Exit poll: Obama wins women, blacks, Hispanics – AP, 11-4-08
The Final Countdown: McCain on the Road – NYT, 11-4-08
McCain makes last-minute appeal for votes – AP, 11-4-08
Obama and McCain still campaign as votes are cast – AP, 11-4-08
Few problems as voters wait hours to cast ballots – AP, 11-4-08

Final Remarks

President-Elect Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech:, Download Mp3
If there is anyone out there who still doubts America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of democracy, tonight is your answer. It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches, in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited for three hours, four hours – many for the first time in their lives – because they believed that this time must be different, and their voices could be that difference. At this defining moment, change has come to America.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. A new dawn of American leadership is at hand….
…The greatest of a lifetime, two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century….
There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task ahead….
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there….
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

John McCain’s Concession Speech Download Mp3
My friends, we have — we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Sen. Barack Obama to congratulate him.
These are difficult times for our country and I pledged to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us in the many challenges we face. I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will.
In a contest, as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my repect for his ability and his perseverence.
But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hope of so many millions of Americans, who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president, is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.
Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans, and believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that. It is natural to feel some disappointment, but tomorrow we must move beyond it and … get our country moving again. We fought as hard as we could. Though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours.
[Sarah Palin] is one of the best campaigners I have ever seen and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength.
This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life.

McNew/Getty

John McCain concedes victory on stage with his wife Cindy McCain.

Historians’ Comments

Gil Troy on Obama’s Victory:
Barack Obama’s ease in beating John McCain should not obscure the magnitude of this achievement. A one-term Senator who just a few years ago described himself as a skinny guy with a funny name, his election as President of the United States demonstrates tremendous political talent, an American generosity of spirit that is rarely recognized these days, especially abroad, and that necessary ingredient in all greatness – good luck….
It is hard to view either without being wowed by Obama’s compelling, healing, nationalist vision.
Obama’s victory also reflects America’s transformation from a divided, racist country as recently as the 1960s, and a much more magnanimous, equal, open country today. The greatest concern about Obama from the start was not that he was black, but that he was too green – inexperienced. In choosing Obama in such numbers Americans showed that most judged him not as a black man but as the best man for the job.
Sealing the deal for Obama was tremendous luck. He was blessed by Hillary Clinton’s incompetent campaign along with John McCain’s erratic search for a strategy. And America’s misfortune was Obama’s good fortune – when the markets tanked in September, Obama’s campaign soared.
In the classic Robert Redford movie, “The Candidate,” a young, good-looking, come-from-nowhere reformer upsets an older, more experienced pol. The movie ends with the question now facing Barack Obama, as the euphoria of the election dissipates and America’s sobering economic, military, diplomatic, and social challenges intensify: “what do we do now?”
Peniel Joseph “Sen. Obama Projected to Win the Presidency”: “The Republicans are bearing the fruit of the Southern strategy that was hatched in 1968,” historian Peniel Joseph said on the NewsHour Tuesday night. “That strategy worked brilliantly in the presidential election of 1972. Now, Barack Obama is running a national campaign probably since the first time in 1964.” – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
Peniel Joseph “Obama Earns a Slim Win in GOP Stronghold of Virginia”: Some of Obama’s success in the state has been attributed to an influx of professionals to Northern Virginia’s D.C. suburbs, “which has turned it into more of a swing state,” historian Peniel Joseph told the NewsHour. “Virginia, really the cradle of the confederacy,” Joseph said. “When we think about Virginia going to the first African American candidate, it really speaks to the way in which this realignment is happening.” – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
Richard Norton Smith “Obama Earns a Slim Win in GOP Stronghold of Virginia”: Historian Richard Norton Smith agreed the results reflect a fundamental change in how politicians should view the state. “If Republicans want to take Virginia back, they better stop talking about the ‘real Virginia.’” Norton Smith said. – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
Michael Beschloss, Richard Norton Smith & Peniel Joseph: PBS Newhour with Jim Lehrer History’s View: Historians evaluate how the 2008 election may go down in the history books and its place in the shaping of American politic – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
John Hinshaw “The morning after: Half of us will be disappointed”: John Hinshaw, a historian at Lebanon Valley College in central Pennsylvania, sees a couple things that could dictate the aftermath of Election Day — one aggravating and one mitigating. He says that many people profess after the fact to have voted for the winner even if they didn’t, thus leavening the strong reaction.
But if voters perceive unfairness, which can happen in both thin margins and landslides, that can be a serious problem. “People can say, ‘It’s not my president. It’s your president,’” he says. “And that’s the kind of stuff that can really weaken nation-states.” – AP, 11-2-08
Peniel Joseph “Number of Battleground States Too Close to Call”: “I think Indiana is a big surprise. George Bush won Indiana by 31 points over John Kerry. Indiana probably has to be as rock solid of a red state in the last 44 years as we’ve seen,” said historian Peniel Joseph on the NewsHour. – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
Richard Norton Smith “Number of Battleground States Too Close to Call”: Historian Richard Norton Smith added that the lack of results is still telling. “The fact that Virginia, Indiana and North Carolina are too close to call – that tells you that the Democrats, both presidential and Congressional, are poaching on traditionally Republican terrain,” North Smith said. – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
Richard Norton Smith “Historians Weigh in on Public’s Energy, Key States”: The potential for record numbers of voters in this year’s election reflects a level of public interest that may be unprecedented, said historian Richard Norton Smith. With a number of traditionally Republican states in play for either ticket and an almost-certain shift in the balance of power in the U.S. Congress, this year’s election is “a history in the making,” he said.
“This could be the end of a 40-year cycle of conservative domination of American politics,” said Norton Smith….
Norton Smith feels that while Democrats are expected to seize control of many formerly Republican seats in the Senate and House of Representatives, the electorate in conservative states will still control local politics.
“The fact is, if the Democrats pick up 20 or 25 or even 30 seats tonight, most of those, the overwhelming number of those, are going to be in red states, they’ll be on Republican turf,” Norton Smith said. “So one of the great ironies that has thus far escaped media attention is that a significantly more Democratic House of Representatives in particular might not be more automatically liberal, it might in fact be more diverse or more conservative at least in terms of the Democratic majority.” – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
Peniel Joseph “Historians Weigh in on Public’s Energy, Key States”: Black studies professor Peniel Joseph says this year’s public interest mirrors the excitement of past elections. With Sen. Barack Obama vying to be the country’s first black president and Gov. Sarah Palin aimed at the vice presidency, Joseph is reminded of other important firsts in American history, such as the election of John F. Kennedy over Richard Nixon in 1960. “Kennedy’s the first Irish-Catholic and the only Irish Catholic president in the history of the United States. People don’t remember, but there was really a prejudice against Catholics, and people thought if Kennedy became president, he’d be taking his marching orders from the Pope and the Vatican in Rome, so it’s very interesting and that was really an issue during the primary,” Joseph said….
“Indiana is really sort of the heartland of America — so for Obama to be in contention in Indiana and Indiana to be a kind of toss-up state – that’s very surprising,” Joseph said. – PBS Newshour, 11-4-08
Richard Norton Smith “The undeniably exciting aura of ’08″: “In the spring of 1933 the most popular song in the country was ‘Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf,’” said presidential historian Richard Norton Smith. “Its appeal was attributed in some quarters to mass relief over the departure of Herbert Hoover from the White House.” “I am not equating the incumbent with Hoover,” Smith said. “What I am suggesting is a sense of new possibilities, as well as institutional renewal, that comes with any inauguration — a sense, ironically, heightened this time around by the very contrast with the outgoing and incoming president.” – Politico, 11-3-08
Alan Brinkley “The undeniably exciting aura of ’08″: “I think for many people, certainly for African-Americans and certainly for other people who yearn for a kind of final conciliation of our racial history, this is a sort of extraordinary moment, and an unimagined moment,” said Alan Brinkley, a historian of American politics and the provost of Columbia University…
There was a “kind of zany quality of the campaign, especially for the McCain campaign, [which] at a moment like this really is unprecedented,” said Brinkley. “There’s never been anything quite like this.” – Politico, 11-3-08
Al Felzenberg “The undeniably exciting aura of ’08″: “I think you have to acknowledge, in the case of Obama, an event of tremendous historic significance,” said presidential historian Al Felzenberg, the author of a book on rating the presidents. “In the span of my lifetime, not even that, the span of a generation, we have gone from a period when African-American Nobel Laureates and congressional Medal of Honor winners could not walk into restaurants in parts of this country and order a hamburger to a time when an African-American is being seriously considered for the presidency of the United States.” On the other hand, he said, “The McCain campaign has lent itself to the dramatic gesture: the flying back to Washington, threatening to cancel the debate, sometimes changing themes.”
“Clearly the economic worries have caused people to think in a very dramatic way that we may be ending an era, that we may be on the end of a certain run and on the beginning of something else,” Felzenberg said. – Politico, 11-3-08
Gil Troy “History Past Presidential Elections Far Nastier” “2008 was downright mild,” compared to some of the tactics employed in the past, said Gil Troy, professor of U.S. History at McGill University in Montreal…
“Elections have frequently been intense dust ups — American politics is rough and tumble,” said Troy.
“John McCain to his credit refused to raise the Jeremiah Wright issue, because he feared making racial waves. Barack Obama very cleverly deemed every attack against him, no matter how mild, a smear, and this helped put the Republicans on the defensive and raise the bar,” Troy said.
“Americans are always searching for the golden age in the past, which I believe never existed,” said Troy.
“[During] each campaign we idealize the previous ones and express deep disappointment with the [candidates] we have to choose from and the methods they use,” he said, “not realizing that the reason why they use those methods is because the harsh tactics work on us!” – Live Science, 11-4-08

Senator John MCCain waves to supporters in Phoenix. (Photo: Todd Heisler/The New York Times)

Damon Winter/The New York Times

On The Campaign Trail…

THE DEMOCRATS:
Barack Obama talks to voters in the Indianapolis area before joining supporters at Grant Park in Chicago.
Joe Biden votes in Wilmington, Del., and stops in Richmond, Va., before joining Obama in Chicago.
THE REPUBLICANS:
John McCain holds a rally in Grand Junction, Colo., and hosts an election-night party at a hotel in Phoenix.
Sarah Palin votes in Wasilla, Alaska, before joining McCain in Phoenix.
John McCain makes last-minute appeal for votes I feel the momentum. I feel it, you feel it, and we’re going to win the election…..
Things are looking good, but it’s very early. Then you’ve got to move west, my friends, and we’ve got to win New Mexico.

Senator Barack Obama with his wife, Michelle, and Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. with his wife, Jill, in Chicago on Tuesday night. More Photos >

A women in Chicago yelled “Thank you God,” as CNN announced that Senator Barack Obama had won the election. (Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times)