The New York Times: With a message of hope and competence, he drew in legions of voters who had been disengaged and voiceless. The scenes Tuesday night of young men and women, black and white, weeping and cheering in Chicago and New York and in Atlanta’s storied Ebenezer Baptist Church were powerful and deeply moving.
The Wall Street Journal: Hearty congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama. The American electorate has handed him and his fellow Democrats the kind of sweeping victory they haven’t had since at least 1976 and in certain respects since 1964. We’ll now find out if the Democratic Party has learned anything since the last two times it held all the levers of power in Washington.
Los Angeles Times:Â For nearly two years, Americans have participated in a thrilling — and sometimes contemptuous — debate about which candidate and which ideas should guide this country through a dangerous, difficult present toward a more promising future. On Tuesday, we chose the president to lead that journey. Today, we embark, united again.
Washington Post: Like so many millions of Americans, we savor the phrase, and congratulate the winner, and celebrate the momentousness of the occasion. It is momentous for the generational change it heralds, the geographic realignment it reflects and the racial progress it both acknowledges and promises.
Chicago Tribune: Most Americans are ready to give Obama a chance to show he can deliver needed improvements. The financial crisis has also made them open to ideas they would not have considered before. But their motivation is pragmatic, not ideological, and the new president will be judged on results rather than intentions.
USA Today: President-elect Obama has already moved the nation forward in a way that would have been almost unthinkable in the not-too-distant past. It’s appropriate to pause today to savor how far both he and the United States have come.
New York Post: We congratulate the senator, and offer our best wishes for a fruitful presidency. And a tip of the hat to America, too: Just two generations ago, an African-American who attempted to cast a ballot courted violent death in the dark of night – but now a black man will ascend to the highest office in the land.
Philadelphia Inquirer: Today, the rest of the world can see that America is reaching its ideal as the land of opportunity for all – regardless of ethnicity.
Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal: This editorial page hasn’t been reluctant to express concerns about the thin resume Obama brings to the job. His positions on certain issues remain unformed. He