Historic Wins On Election Night **UPDATEDx2**

Update below.

As expected, my representative, Jim Clyburn, the Clinton backstabber, won his gerrymandered district. What else is new? Well, actually something quite historic. Republican Tim Scott, endorsed by Sarah Palin, and an African American, ALSO won. It is the first time a Republican African American has won in this state in over a century.

And, it makes South Carolina the first state to have two African American representatives from both sides of the aisle serving at the same time. This Post and Courier article had this comment from Mr. Scott:

[snip] Scott said he hasn't thought at all about the historical significance should he and Clyburn win and head off to Washington.

"The significance of it would be that we as a state continue to evolve, and we elect people who reflect our issues and our core value systems," he said. "This time it happens to be two black guys, but in the end I think it's significant that people are still voting based on how candidates represent the issues." [snip] (Click here to read the rest.)

Indeed. But race is not the primary focus for Representative-Elect Scott as this Post and Courier article highlights:

[snip] "All we hear is the issue, 'He's a black Republican,' " Scott told a few hundred supporters inside the Hilton Garden Inn in North Charleston Tuesday. "I got to tell you. I'm black. I'm proud. I've got a bald head and my smile is beautiful.

"But all those things don't matter. ... With a strong victory, what we realize is that people are more concerned with the character of the individual, not the characteristics of the individual."

Scott stuck to conservative Republican themes, such as repealing the new federal health care law, lowering taxes to promote business and reigning in Washington spending. [snip] (Click here to read the rest.)

I have to give it to him - his smile is beautiful. And good for Representative-Elect Scott for echoing the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. Yes, this is more about character than the color of the skin. Amen to that.

And as Representative-Elect Scott said, the state does continue to evolve as it also elected not only its first woman governor, Nikki Haley, but its first Indian-American. Governor-Elect Haley credits Sarah Palin for helping her to spread her campaign message here. Haley, like Scott, focuses less on the historic nature of her win, and more on the importance of what she hopes to do in the state as governor, according to this Post and Courier article.

History was made across the country last night with Republicans picking up seats as governors, representatives, and senators. And I would sure love to hear what went on in your individual states. But before I sign off, there was yet another first last night. The first women to be on the ticket as Vice Presidential candidates for their respective parties were together for the first time. Yes, Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin sat side by side discussing politics, issues, and breaking that glass ceiling. It was quite a moment, as the video below highlights:



Cool, right? I love how affectionate these two women are with each other. Dare I say it, they seem to actually like each other. And honestly, I thought Palin did a much better job of addressing the sexism directed at women in politics. Ferraro seemed to dismiss it as "business as usual," but Palin made it clear that should not be the case.

Yes, lots of history made last night, especially here in my state. Now, tell me what went on where you are!


UPDATE: On Thursday, the Post and Courier had an interesting piece about Representative-Elect Tim Scott as he begins to garner more attention as the first African American representative from SC in over a century. But what I found to be particularly intriguing was the following statement from Mr. Scott:

[snip ]He talked little about his historical bid to become one of the few black Republicans to serve in Congress in recent memory. However, Scott said he realizes that he will continue to be asked about that --and he revels in the extra-large microphone he can expect to see before him.

"If I can continue to talk about what the tea party talks about, what conservative Republicans talk about -- that if you don't have it, you just can't spend it -- if I can do those things because I have a very shiny bald head, then that's a wonderful thing," he said.

Scott said he has not decided if he will join the Congressional Black Caucus, though he did join the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus.

He said doing so would give him another platform to spread his conservative message, but "the con of it is that it re- enforces the fact that there's a necessary divide, and that divide has to be addressed only by the people who have the same characteristics. I just don't think that's fundamentally good for our country.

"I'm of the idea, as Pollyanna as that may sound or as Utopian as it may be, I believe the more we focus on a collective response to all the issues, the more it impacts appropriately and properly those folks who desperately need help." (Click here to read the rest.)

Well, there's a concept, eh? No, not the "shiny bald head" part - that's just funny. Rather, the idea of focusing on what's important, thus helping those who need it most. Wow. What a concept.

Update 2: The New Agenda has compiled the data of the wins by women in the 2010 elections. There were lots of firsts, not just Nikki Haley, but Susanna Martinez, governor-elect of NM, the first Latina woman elected from the Republican Party. Oklahoma also elected its first woman governor. How cool is this? Check out The New Agenda and see how the women did.