Wednesday, November 5, 2008

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  Unchaining History: Barack Obama Elected President of the United States

  In an historic election, Barack Obama has become the forty-fourth president of the United States. The first-term senator from Illinois easily defeated John McCain on Tuesday, winning a larger share of the popular vote than any Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Record voter turnout was reported across the country. As election results began pouring in last night, thousands of Obama supporters gathered in the streets from Los Angeles to Kenya, the birthplace of Obama’s father. We play an excerpt of Obama’s victory speech in Chicago, where hundreds of thousands of people packed in Grant Park and the surrounding neighborhood to hear his address. [includes rush transcript]

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  John McCain Concedes Defeat in Phoenix

  Democrat Barack Obama swept Republican rival Senator John McCain in several key battlegrounds, scoring a landslide victory. Obama beat McCain in at least eight states that went Republican in 2004: Indiana, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio and Virginia. Obama also beat McCain in the swing states of Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, giving him an Electoral College lead of 349 to McCain’s 162. McCain was quick to offer a concession speech, addressing supporters in his home state of Arizona. He urged Americans to unite behind an Obama White House. We play an excerpt. [includes rush transcript]

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  Manning Marable on the Significance of the Nation's First Elected African American President

  We get response on Barack Obama’s election from Manning Marable, a professor of public affairs, political science, history and African American studies at Columbia University in New York City. He is the author of many books, including Living Black History: How Reimagining the African-American Past Can Remake America’s Racial Future. [includes rush transcript]

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  Voices of Harlem: Voters in Historic Black Neighborhood Discuss Their Votes

  We speak with voters coming out of a polling site on 144th St. and Malcolm X Blvd. in Harlem, New York. [includes rush transcript]

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  Where Do Republicans Go from Here? Michael Tomasky on the Future of the GOP

  Many political observers agree the 2008 election has highlighted growing divisions within the Republican Party. John McCain’s selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate was widely seen as reaching out to the right-wing evangelicals that initially opposed his nomination. Last week, reports emerged that leading conservatives were planning to meet in Virginia in the days after the election. Attendees will discuss the future of the Republican Party and the conservative movement. We speak with Michael Tomasy, editor of Guardian America. [includes rush transcript]

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  Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney Responds to Obama Win

  We speak with Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney. National results indicate McKinney placed sixth in overall voting behind Barack Obama, John McCain, independent candidate Ralph Nader, Libertarian Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party. [includes rush transcript]

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  Obama Wins Larger Share of Popular Vote Than Any Democrat Since Johnson

  Barack Obama was elected the forty-fourth president of the United States on Tuesday. The first-term senator from Illinois easily defeated John McCain on Tuesday, winning a larger share of the popular vote than any Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. We play an excerpt of his victory speech. [includes rush transcript]

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  Melissa Harris-Lacewell on President-Elect Obama

  We speak with Melissa Harris-Lacewell about the election of Barack Obama as forty-fourth president of the United States. Lacewell is an associate professor of politics and African American atudies at Princeton University and a contributing writer at TheRoot.com. She is finishing her new book Sister Citizen: A Text for Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Politics When Being Strong Isn’t Enough. [includes rush transcript]

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  Obama Should Never Forget "The White House Was Built by Black Slaves" - Uruguayan Writer Eduardo Galeano

  We go to Montevideo to speak with Eduardo Galeano, one of the most celebrated writers from Latin America. Galeano discusses the significance of an African American being elected president of the United States. [includes rush transcript]

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  California's Prop 8 Approval Likely

  One of the most closely watched ballot initiative votes dealt with gay marriage. In California, Proposition 8 appears headed for approval. The Proposition would amend the California constitution to specify that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Voters also passed gay marriage bans in Arizona and Florida. [includes rush transcript]

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  Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader Discusses Future Obama Presidency and Two-Party Politics

  We speak with independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader. The longtime consumer advocate appeared on the ballot in forty-five states. He received about one percent of the vote, the highest of any third-party candidate. [includes rush transcript]

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  Iraq Vet Calls on Antiwar Movement to Press President-Elect Obama for Immediate Withdrawal from Iraq

  In the wake of Barack Obama becoming the forty-fourth president of the United States, we speak with Sgt. Matthis Chiroux, a member of Iraq Veteran Against the War. Sgt. Chiroux served in the Army until being honorably discharged last year after over four years of service, including in Afghanistan, where Obama has pledged to escalate the war. [includes rush transcript]