Four big questions of the presidential election
CAMPAIGN '08
Who wins, and where, will give clues about the nation's feelings on race, the role of government and the hold of partisanship.
Reporting from Washington — Iowa gave the first sign that the American political landscape had changed.
Democrats in an overwhelmingly white state, many from small towns and farms, said an African American man from Chicago was the best choice for president -- and by a convincing margin.
Barack Obama went on to build a broader coalition than any previous black candidate, winning the Democratic nomination on an agenda of "change." John McCain emerged as the GOP nominee, despite a history of breaking from Republican beliefs. He too promised "change" from the nation's current course.
On Tuesday, as results from the presidential election roll in, so will clues to what kind of change the nation wants, and to how much it has changed in the last four years.
Who wins, and where, will shed light on the nation's feelings on race, the role of government and the hold of partisanship on the public dialogue. Here are four big questions arising from the 2008 presidential campaign:
Has America's racial divide narrowed?
Watch Obama on television, and he will often be framed by flags and furnishings reminiscent of the Oval Office. During his overseas trip this summer, Obama enjoyed warm banter with the likes of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the two men standing at twin lecterns beneath a crystal chandelier.
Americans have watched Obama act presidential, and he has worked to make them comfortable with the idea of a black man -- and a relative newcomer to the national scene -- as the nation's leader.
If voters give him the job, it will cap years of progress in race relations. Prejudice and inequality remain, but a growing black middle class has put more white Americans in contact with blacks, particularly in the workplace. In turn, racial attitudes have softened.
Still, Americans have never seen an African American cast so forcefully as a potential president. By standing as an equal in debates with McCain, by presenting TV ads that show white people listening intently to his words, has Obama created a more colorblind nation?
"Fifteen years ago, it would have been inconceivable for many people to think about a black person as president of the United States. It required this demographic change of younger people with more liberal attitudes coming to the fore," said Reynolds Farley, a University of Michigan sociologist who studies interactions among races.
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