After 22 months of a long pre-election campaign, the global power, the United States, elected its next president on 4 November 2008 . Candidates spent a total of 2.4 billion dollars, a record high in US election history, for their campaigns. Barak Huseyin Obama, who first had to win the Democratic Party's candidacy for the presidency, is the new President of the US. Prominent African American civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King dreamt of a world in which all races live equally and in peace with one another. Has such a world only now been born with the election of President-elect Obama? Or was that world once so seemingly impossible already here, which is why Obama could be elected in the first place? These are some of the main points in a highly debated issue, and the debate is not over yet.
Without a doubt, insecurity, mistrust and even animosity between different races in the US are declining, and African Americans have started to feel more ‘American' compared to their compatriot Asians, Latinos and even Slavs, whose numbers are on the rise. On the other hand, the two generations who fought to deny African Americans their rights in society, discriminated against them and even violently attacked and killed them in the 1950s and 1960s are still alive today. Even when Obama was born in 1961, discriminatory laws were still in effect in some states and electoral rights of African Americans were limited. We know that in this presidential election, the white segments of those generations as well as African Americans cast their ballots on the basis of racial prefernce. Interestingly, Obama received 95% of the African American vote and McCain more than 50% of white American votes. An African American was elected President at a time when clearly race is still an issue in America. But given the complexity of the issue and the wounds of racism that have been inflicted on African Americans, it was unfathomable to think of an African American President in the White House perhaps until the 2020s.

So What Happened?
Undoubtedly, victory against first Hilary Clinton and then the American establishment is a political feat that should not be underestimated, especially for someone who did not follow an elitist route to political success; has not yet made a name for himself in his professional career as an attorney; has not published what can be considered as groundbreaking academic work; and who has never proposed legislation in the Senate. But what he undoubtedly has is a vision-and it is this vision that awarded him 52% of the votes, which is more than the percentage George Bush had managed. Obama also increased his party's numbers by 20 in the Congress and 5 in the Senate. However, we should not forget that despite the upheaval of the financial crisis, which caused enormous damage to the credibility of the Republican administration's handling of the economy, 46% of votes still went to the Republican Party-in other words, against the Democrats. This proves how conservatism is deeply rooted in the US.
On the other hand, despite the traces of racial discrimination and conservatism, it is important to recognize the massive significance of Obama's selection as the President of the global superpower, who under normal circumstances would find it difficult to find an executive level job in any global corporation.
Despite all of the obstacles, the success of Obama lies in his ability to gain the trust of the people, who would like to see him as President, combined with the extremely tumultuous conditions of today that made his election possible, and perhaps even a must.
Obama came to power because of the special circumstances that have are the result of 8 years of destructive and careless government under President Bush, who was elected because he was the crown prince. In contrast, Obama is intelligent, able, charismatic, a Harvard graduate, has proven successful as a civil society activist, and has risen among the ranks of politics to become a Senator despite his young age. But the terrible state of US foreign policy; the unpleasant circumstances that have disturbed public opinion both in the US and around the world; a society that does not want see coffins of their sons;, an administration that failed to deal in any acceptable way with natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina; and the global economic meltdown has carried Obama to the Presidency. The US was desperately in need of a change in its image and its policies, and the world was anxious for a different way of thinking in Washington. The promise of change came from Obama.
Obama, who was deemed prematurely worthy by the American establishment to take on a number of projects, including interfaith dialogue and moderate Islam, achieved success through a plan that appealed to a plurality of religions and colors-all fueled by a populist approach, similar to former President Bill Clinton. We should not forget that unrealistic promises of change have been the best medicine for desperate societies. Consequently, American society, who kept alive the memories of the 1929 economic crisis, voted for an African American politician while the establishment did not prevent his election, and even supported it, for the sake of restoring America's image, both at home and abroad.
Obama effectively used all financial, moral and technological tools available to his campaign. His supporters were the main source of his funds and Obama collected record high donations via the internet. Thousands of party volunteers reached out to voters every day, especially in critical states like Philadelphia, as the election date drew closer. On Election Day, volunteers reached out to people who were undecided or had not yet cast their vote and encouraged them to vote. In the past, Democrats suffered from a weak organization made weaker by a lack of volunteer activism and a high dependency on the work of unions, but this time they changed their way of doing things. Thousands of neighborhood teams were established and educated 6 months before the elections, and this made it possible for teams to work for at least 40-50 hours per week. Obama also proved to a pro in public relations. He showed the hole in his shoes (by mistake!) to media representatives. More importantly, he fended off criticism on his inexperience by emphasizing that "Change is important, not experience". Another significant and effective use of the media was the broadcast of Obama's 30-minute speech on national television channels during prime time a few days before the election, which cost 4 million dollars.
Now, critical problems await the president-elect. The effects of the escalating financial crisis; tax cuts that middle-class Americans were promised; record-high unemployment and retirement funds at risk; governance of the financial system; quagmires in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and global warming are just the tip of the iceberg. However, Obama, who has been presented as a hero by the establishment for the restoration of the American image, cannot satisfy both domestic and foreign expectations at the same time. His predecessor, Bush, made existing problems worse and created new ones, and so the expectations from Obama are burdensome and complex. Obama's first act would be to decide whom to inevitably let down, rather than which hard pressing issue to tackle first.

What is waiting for Turkey?
The support of the Armenian and Greek lobbies, the traditional supporters of Democrats in the US political system, to the Obama-Biden team and the promises given to these lobbies in return have great significance for Turkey, especially given the Democrats' dominance in Congress. While Obama will be busy dealing with the immediate concern of the economic crisis during the first six months of the presidency, the course of Vice-President Biden's actions, who is known for his animosity towards Turkey, must be watched carefully. In the past, Biden took a stand on several issues that were to the detriment of Turkey, including on a weapons embargo, the so-called "Armenian Genocide", the Cyprus dispute and PKK terrorism. Thus, Biden might the gain upper hand against the establishment and tilt the political balance. Therefore, the Turkish government and diplomats, as well as American diplomats who are aware of the significance of the bilateral relations, should be very careful during the first six months.
Turkey should reiterate that to the US that is should refrain itself from actions that could dishonor Turkey, threaten its sovereignty or result in a potential strain in the relationship. The US needs Turkey in the region, especially because of the increasing strength of Russia, thus the US cannot do anything at the expense of Turkey. Turkey should play its cards with decisive political will and with a strategic vision of its own. Should Biden pursue arbitrary policies towards Turkey, as the Bush administration tended to do, the US should be prepared to face any possible consequences.

Acting President of National Security Strategies Research Center (TUSAM) akulebi@tusam.net