America, after decades of its love relationship with Conservatism, topped by eight years of the disastrous Bush presidency that has left the country on the brink of financial collapse and almost universal dislike, was indeed ready for change. it, therefore, decisively rejected the candidate -- McCain -- who promised more of the same and chose the candidate for change.

Was the U.S. In Need for Change?

That there was a need for change in the U.S. is a no-brainer. On the domestic front, the U.S. is facing perhaps the most formidable economic meltdown since the Great Depression of the 1930s. In eight short years, the Bush administration has managed to turn a huge federal budget surplus into a frightening budget deficit which is estimated to spiral above the dreaded $1 trillion figure by as early as the next year; and even as the country enters a period of painful recession, approximately 50 million Americans have negligible health-care cover. (it's time...").

On the international front, things are hardly looking any better. Back in 2000, Bush had inherited a country that stood tall as the undisputed superpower, at peace with a generally admiring world. In quick time, thanks to his ham-handed foreign policy and an unending "War on Terror," he is leaving the presidency with America less feared by its enemies and less admired by its friends (Ibid.)

In such a bleak situation, the need for change was palpably obvious and Obama, who had realized the need earlier and more clearly than any other candidate, has deservedly been chosen by the American people as their next President. The challenge that he faces to bring about a positive change is, however, formidable.

Conclusion

The 'historic' 2008 U.S. Presidential elections, in which the first African-American was elected to the Oval office, were one of the most exciting in the country's history. As we saw in this paper, the issues of race and change dominated the proceedings and both were skillfully managed by Obama and his campaign managers in his favor. A majority of the American public chose to ignore the color of the candidates' skin and responded favorably to an optimistic message of change.

Works Cited

Borosage, Robert and Katrina Heuvel. "What Obama Needs for Progressive Reform." The Nation. September 01, 2008. November 17, 2008. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080901/borosage_kvh

Grunwald, Michael. "For Obama, Race Remains Elephant in the Room." Time Magazine. Monday, Sep. 15, 2008. November 17, 2008. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1841109,00.html

It's time America...

October 30, 2008
Jakes, T.D. "Will a Black President Really Heal the Racial Divide?" Time Magazine. November 04, 2008. November 17, 2008. http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1856574,00.html

Koppleman, Alex. Will whites vote for Barack Obama? Salon.com. January 24, 2008. November 17, 2008. http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/01/24/white_voters/

Obama Race Speech: The Full Text." The Huffington Post. March 18, 2008. November 17, 2008. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-th_n_92077.html

Powell, Michael. "Following Months of Criticism, Obama Quits His Church." The New York Times. June 01, 2008. November 17, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/us/politics/01obama.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1212552000&en=4f275b18627314ec&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin

Whitaker, Bill. "A Matter of Race." CBS News. Oct. 12, 2008. November 17, 2008. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/12/sunday/main4515842.shtml

Winning the Media Campaign: How the Press Reported the 2008 Presidential General Election." Project for Excellence in Journalism. October 22, 2008. November 17, 2008. http://journalism.org/files/WINNING%20THE%20MEDIA%20CAMPAIGN%20FINAL.pdf

Zeleny, Jeff. "On the Road: Obama and Race." The New York Times Political Blog. January 15, 2008. November 17, 2008. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/on-the-road-obama-and-race/

To be more accurate: President-elect Obama is only half black as his mother was a white American from Kansas

The most controversial parts of Reverend Wright's sermons included an outburst in which he said: "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human" and his remarks in the wake of the 9/11 attacks that the "chickens were coming home to roost."

Social scientists have theorized that the "Bradley Effect" occurs due to a "social desirability bias" in voters. The hypothesis states that when called by pollsters, white voters who do not want to vote for an African-American candidate feel embarrassed about being perceived as racist if they express their true sentiment; hence they lie during the polls. However, their real preferences are exposed in the polling booth.

2008 Elections