President Obama has won re-election as President of the United States.  By the time all the votes are counted, his electoral vote margin is likely to surpass most predictions, and to equal the most optimistic predictions, with a total of 332.  He will win the popular vote with over 50%, and so will be the first Democrat since FDR to surpass 50% in two elections. 

The dimensions of this victory will become clearer in coming days.  But what seems to be the case right now is that he has held his ground with white voters from 2008 but increased his votes from the increasing populations of Latinos and African Americans.  The Obama campaign, from its strategists to its volunteers, proved itself to be the best ever.

President Obama's victory speech before an indoor but still huge crowd, threaded together elements of his campaign speeches and even his 2004 Democratic convention speech that brought him to national attention, but most of all it put this victory in a meaningful context for going forward.

This victory was a repudiation of GOPer politics of the past year, across the country.  Democrats increased their Senate majority, the most progressive candidates won, and the most extreme Rabid Right candidates were almost without exception defeated (a few House races are still outstanding.) 

Elizabeth Warren beat the bullyboy Scott Brown to become the new Senator from Massachusetts.  Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay member of the Senate, and one of an historically high number of women to be U.S. Senators. 

With this victory, American voters decisively rejected the terrible turn back that a Romney victory would have meant.  But with this victory speech, President Obama has begun to consolidate his presidency, while consolidating--for his supporters especially--- the kind of politics he has advocated since the beginning.   I'll try to say more about what I mean when the transcript becomes available.

 For now, it's enough to let this victory sink in.  After all the tension, it took about 17 minutes longer this election than last for his victory to be proclaimed--which after this terrifying campaign, was sort of stunning.  Even when, as in my case, this was the outcome I expected.