His opponents may cite the huge fundraising advantage, the compliant media, and the possible campaign fraud- but in the end the voters trusted Obama and the Democrats more than McCain and the Republicans. Historically, past a certain point the additional money offers little advantage.

Obama’s campaign obviously did a lot of things right; very right. But he was also fortunate. He was running against a very tarnished opponent in the primary, Hillary Clinton; and he was also running against an even more tarnished Republican Party in the general election.

He was fortunate that the surge was successful, even though he was against it, because it removed the fear of terrorism from the election. It was ironic that it was Bush’s late success in Iraq, not his early failure that helped Obama. The financial meltdown could not have happened at a more convenient time; a huge event with massive uncertainty that occurred between the primaries and the general election. Voters largely vote their pocket book.

McCain and Palin ran more against Obama than for anything; that is a losing strategy. In fact many conservatives who were disenchanted with McCain and especially Palin voted more against Obama than for their party leaders.

And many reluctant Obama supporters were just voting against the Republican Party which many have come to despise, not without some reason.

I do not know that the outcome means that the country is turning left; personally I think the voters have risen far above simplistic left/ right descriptions and analogies.

He faces one of the most challenging times of any president. I hope he proves successful and confounds his critics including me. I could not be happier to confess how wrong I was about him.

I wish Obama and his administration the best.

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