How Obama Won, And How it Will Help Him Govern

Barack Obama's victory in the Presidential election is stunning and historic, but not really surprising. A number of factors contributed to his victory, and all were easily visible throughout the campaign. The good news is that those same factors will help Obama govern once he takes office.

The four main factors were: the nation in crisis, his personality, his political organization, and his stands on the issues. I will attempt to explain how each of those helped him win, how they will make it easier for him to govern and some of the pitfalls which nonetheless remain.

1. Nation in Crisis

There's nothing like a crisis to convince people we need a change of leadership. I think everyone will agree that crisis helped Obama win. And I'm not just talking about the financial crisis of this fall, but the ongoing crisis of eight years of Bush rule (of which the financial crisis was certainly part). Iraq, Katrina, the failure to capture Bin Laden, plus a general sense of global disaster, all convinced the public it was time to change not just the president, but leadership at all levels. The financial crisis was just the icing on the cake.

How It Helps Him Govern -- Times of crisis are times of opportunity. The various crises, especially the financial meltdown, give Obama the freedom to try much more radical programs than might have been possible before. The American public is willing to try almost anything which might fix the problem. Roosevelt would never have been able to enact the New Deal without the Depression. And Reagan would never have been able to enact his agenda without the various crises, financial and international, of the late 70's. Obama may be able to do something equally dramatic. Even if Obama's plans are not as ambitious at the New Deal, the sense of crisis gives him greater leeway, to propose and try out a variety of programs, as long as he is seen to be tackling the problem(s).