74% of local voters supported Obama

By T.C. Jefferson

Spontaneous celebrations of hope, relief and jubilation echoed throughout the East Bay last Tuesday night as thousands of Barack Obama supporters reveled in the historic election of the nation’s first black president.
    And rightfully so!

    Although Obama won convincingly by a 53 percent to 46 percent margin nationally, and by an even more impressive 61 percent to 37 percent in California, residents of Alameda and Contra Costa counties collectively pledged their votes, hearts and hopes on the new president by a staggering 74 percent.
    Sixty-eight percent of Contra Costa County’s votes went for Obama, while Alameda County’s larger voting base led the Obama bandwagon with a whopping 79 percent.
    Those figures are even more impressive when compared with the election results from Obama’s home county (Cook, Illinois), which voted 76 percent to 23 percent in his favor. Residents of Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and surrounding East Bay communities even voted for Barack in larger percentages than voters in his home city of Chicago.
    One of the largest, most festive and enthusiastic Obama celebrations occurred at Oakland’s downtown Convention Center, where a diverse crowd of about 5,000 revelers, including campaign volunteers, government officials and jubilant passers-by, proudly and peacefully shared the momentous occasion.
    Among those present were Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, City Councilwoman Jean Quan, Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson and others.
    In a prepared statement, Lee said, “I offer my warmest congratulations to President-elect Obama, his family, his staff and the grassroots movement — including the millions of young people — who made this tremendous victory possible. This is a transformative moment in United States history.”
    Upon hearing the news of Obama’s victory, Swanson proclaimed, “Senator Obama’s election as president of the United States is one of the proudest political moments in my lifetime … God bless America.”
    In addition to the extraordinary historical impact of Tuesday’s election, the event was unique in that it spawned a spirit of unity, hope and civic pride. Unlike any other election night in memory, literally thousands of people gathered at Oakland’s Jack London Square, in downtown Berkeley, on streets and plazas, and in businesses, homes and apartments throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in peaceful celebration.
    Perhaps Lee summed it up best in saying, “ ... today’s election should give pause to those who seek to falsely divide us and it should give hope that we are a nation ready to be united in our diversity, strong in our differences and proud of our democracy.”