Barack Obama has just been confirmed to be the next president of the United States. As I am writing, Obama is poised to win not only the election, but also Virginia, heart of the former Confederacy. Georgia could potentially go Obama’s way as well. By Wednesday morning, a million people will have celebrated the Republican downfall in Chicago‘s Grant Park. It is a different kind of election than we have seen in a long time, and people rightfully have hope for the future.

The significance of a black man winning the presidency cannot be understated. When Obama was born in 1961, Jim Crow segregation was still the law of the land. The fact that millions of white working-class voters will turn out for Obama repudiates the myth that white Americans are incorrigibly racist, something John McCain, not to mention Hillary Clinton, was banking on to beat Obama. Everyone with a modicum of sense can tell there is something important and exciting happening.

When Obama supporters explain what they expect of an Obama administration, the words “hope” and “change” come up, but specifics are usually lacking. It is difficult to go by Obama’s record, which is a short one, but if Obama governs the way he campaigns, we can expect a cautious, politically moderate president. A couple of examples from the campaign are particularly instructive.

As Colin Powell endorsed Obama on “Meet the Press,” he joined a long line of conservatives abandoning the sinking Republican ship. Liberals mostly welcomed Gen. Powell’s endorsement, as it was another sign of McCain’s impending doom. It is important to remember Powell is still a foreign policy hawk who never repudiated his support for the war in Iraq. In 2003, Powell used his credibility to sell the weapons of mass destruction story to the world and paved the way for the invasion.

This is not a case of an old soldier changing his stripes and endorsing a peacenik. Powell recognizes in Obama someone who is committed to projecting American military power around the world. He understands Obama’s promise to withdraw all “combat troops” from Iraq would still leave 100,000 troops behind, which indicates Obama is not interested in ending the war but in a different strategy for winning. Obama’s promise to expand the size of the military by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines also betrays his hawkish foreign policy. Like most military brass, Powell is worried the Iraq war will severely cripple America‘s military might. He believes Obama is best suited to continue prosecuting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Also revealing was Obama’s response to the unmistakable stench of racism coming from the McCain campaign. After weeks of accusing Obama of associating with terrorists, McCain’s supporters read the not-so-subtle subtext and started calling Obama a Muslim and an Arab. McCain’s incredible reaction was to defend Obama, saying he’s not an Arab but a “decent person.” The obvious response was to call McCain out for apparently suggesting Arabs are not decent people, a point even Colin Powell made in his endorsement. But Obama never called McCain out on his racism. Whenever confronted with the “accusation” of being a Muslim, Obama has always insisted on his Christianity but never challenged the premise of the question. Many people are voting Obama partly out of disgust with the Islamaphobia that has been part and parcel with the War on Terror. However, Obama’s silence on this issue shows that the bottom line in this campaign is putting Obama in the White House.

The best aspect of Obama’s victory is how it has raised people’s expectations for the government and for their lives. Millions of people voted for change, and they expect to get it. However, Obama himself realizes the need to temper his supporters’ excitement. Senior Obama advisors have told London‘s The Times, “The sudden financial crisis and the prospect of a deep and painful recession have increased the urgency inside the Obama team to bring people down to earth.” Expect to hear President-elect Obama talking about how long and hard it will be to make the “change” he has been promising.

Many Obama supporters, while ecstatic about his victory, are disappointed with his concessions to the Right. Some will forgive him by saying this is a necessary part of winning an election. This may be true, but we should not confuse Obama’s election strategy with a strategy that can end the war, fight Islamaphobia or protect working-class living standards in a recession. It is up to us to carry out that strategy, with or without Barack Obama.

Paul Pryse ([email protected]) is a member of the International Socialist Organization.