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At Concord's Ward 10 Tuesday night, almost 60 percent of registered voters had already turned out by 5 pm, and cars were bumper to bumper getting into the parking lot, the after-work crowd waiting to get in. "Turnout is great," said Genevieve Van Beaver, official chair of the voter checklist for this polling place at Broken Ground Elementary School. The big news for Van Beaver was the turnout of first-time young voters -- but interestingly, there wasn't any kind of Barack Obama presence at the polling place. "The people who tell us who they're supporting, and they don't have to, they're a fair mix of each party, each candidate, and a lot of independents." Van Beaver talked about parents coming in to bring their kids to register and vote. "It's really multigenerational, and that's incredibly hopeful," Van Beaver said.
In the end, Obama lost to Hillary Clinton, but as in Iowa, voter turnout was amazing. I've been covering presidential elections since 1984 (I was a child reporter!), the year of Jesse Jackson and Geraldine Ferraro, of huge and expensive voter-registration and turnout efforts, from the Women's Vote Project to the NAACP's Operation Big Vote. Every four years since then, someone promises to increase turnout among youth, minorities, women, low-income Americans, and somehow it never happens in any significant way. This year it has, so far, and it's extraordinary. The proportion of young people and first-time voters has surged in Iowa and, according to pollsters, in New Hampshire. Much of that surge has benefited Obama -- but all of it has benefited democracy. I'll be trying to understand it all better in the days and weeks to come.
BOOKS
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Obama's first book, a memoir focused on personal issues of race, identity, and community.
By Barack Obama
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Obama's second book, in which he shares his personal views on faith and values and offers a vision of the future that involves restoring a government that has fallen out of touch with the people.
By Barack Obama
10 reasons there's a bright future for journalism
An optimistic take on what's coming, both for news outlets and news consumers.
By Mark Glaser, Salon
Obama: From Promise to Power
In this compelling book, a Chicago Tribune reporter draws on interviews with Obama, his family, friends, and rivals, as well as his own extensive coverage since Obama's days in the Illinois Senate, to offer a nuanced look at a man of idealism and ambition intent on making history.
By David Mendell
SPEECHES
July 28, 2004: Obama's first national prime-time speech
In this speech, Barack Obama urges America to remember its unity, pledging that "out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come."
August 28, 2008: Obama's acceptance of the Democratic Party's presidential nomination
In this speech, Obama lays into John McCain, describing him as "anything but independent."
November 5th, 2008: Obama's victory speech
In this speech, Obama tells his ecstatic supporters, and the entire nation, that "change has come to America."
January 20, 2009: Obama's inaugural address
The new president calls upon the nation to face its challenges head on, with determination, strength and a commitment to ensuring the delivery of freedom to future generations.
SALON STORIES
How would Barack Obama handle foreign policy?
The presidential contender on dealing with Iran, fighting AIDS in Africa and restoring America's standing in the world.
By Walter Shapiro, Salon
Chicago is Barack Obama's kind of town
The city has a unique history of launching the careers of powerful black politicians -- which is part of the reason Obama moved there.
By Edward McClelland, Salon
American revolutionary
In his acceptance speech, Barack Obama stood up for Democratic values, took the fight to McCain -- and proved that the United States is still capable of reinventing itself.
By Walter Shapiro, Salon
Barack Obama's epic win
The culmination of a brilliant campaign, Obama's unequivocal defeat of John McCain marks a political and generational transformation.
By Walter Shapiro, Salon
Barack Obama, honeymoon killer?
The Clintonites in his Cabinet, forgiveness for Lieberman, the creeping signs of centrism -- progressives aren't ready to panic, yet.
By Mike Madden, Salon
"A new era of responsibility"
Mixing straight talk about dire times with lofty rhetoric about hope and determination, Obama repudiates Bush and vows to get to work.
By Mike Madden, Salon
OTHER STORIES
The Conciliator
Where is Barack Obama coming from?
By Larissa MacFarquhar, The New Yorker
Time's "Person of the Year" coverage of Obama
A strangely fascinating database of Obama-formation, including everything from "6 Degrees of Obama" to a collection of Obama-themed art from Flickr.
Time
The presidency of Barack Obama
This New York Times megapage is the last word on Barack Obama, including everything from his personal biography to his current political stance on detainees and Africa.
The New York Times
Afghanistan: What's the Best Bad Choice?
Tiger Comes Clean, Issues Statement
President Declares Friday National Day of Leftovers