Robert Borosage

Mark Steitz, an irrepressible Washington wit, described the potential threat posed by Osama bin Laden's new arsenal: "If bin Laden were smart, he'd buy ad time and place simple ads on radio and TV stations: 'Remember Americans, Your mortgage is a non recourse loan. You can walk away.' Now that would be explosive." As always, Steitz has a point. This time, a truly terrifying point.

There are defining moments in politics. Republicans have defined themselves. They are not free market conservatives, for they were willing to do the bailout. They don’t object to nationalizing the banks or micromanaging the auto industry on the fly. They are class warriors, willing to risk a worse global economic calamity in order to break a union, to force workers into bankruptcy. Herbert Hoover time. Happy Holidays, too.

Welcome to the new "post-partisan" world, in the silly season on political punditry. Turns out the center has triumphed once again. But that, of course, depends on what you mean by center.

A key question is whether the stimulus will be strategic — investing in areas vital to our future, rather than in simple one-off expenditures for temporary effect.

"The era of big government is over" is over. A major recovery program—featuring substantial public investment—will be inevitably the first initiative of the Obama administration. It should feature more spending than tax cuts—investing in renewable energy and conservation, in rebuilding everything from schools to bridges to a smart electric gird, in helping cities and states avoid crippling cuts of services, in keeping college affordable, providing health care to children, and aiding those most in need.

Sure, this is a center-right country, but only if you substitute addition for analysis. There are more conservatives than liberals — as there has been for years. So add them to the 44% of the electorate that says they are "moderates," and you get a center-right majority. But do a little analysis. "Moderate" isn't a place holder, as voters who describe themselves that way have attitudes on the issues of the day. And when you look at attitudes, rather than addition, there is no question: Conservatives have had their day. This is a center-left, not a center-right nation.

Mark Steitz, an irrepressible Washington wit, described the potential threat posed by Osama bin Laden's new arsenal: "If bin Laden were smart, he'd buy ad time and place simple ads on radio and TV stations: 'Remember Americans, Your mortgage is a non recourse loan. You can walk away.' Now that would be explosive." As always, Steitz has a point. This time, a truly terrifying point.

There are defining moments in politics. Republicans have defined themselves. They are not free market conservatives, for they were willing to do the bailout. They don’t object to nationalizing the banks or micromanaging the auto industry on the fly. They are class warriors, willing to risk a worse global economic calamity in order to break a union, to force workers into bankruptcy. Herbert Hoover time. Happy Holidays, too.

Welcome to the new "post-partisan" world, in the silly season on political punditry. Turns out the center has triumphed once again. But that, of course, depends on what you mean by center.

A key question is whether the stimulus will be strategic — investing in areas vital to our future, rather than in simple one-off expenditures for temporary effect.

"The era of big government is over" is over. A major recovery program—featuring substantial public investment—will be inevitably the first initiative of the Obama administration. It should feature more spending than tax cuts—investing in renewable energy and conservation, in rebuilding everything from schools to bridges to a smart electric gird, in helping cities and states avoid crippling cuts of services, in keeping college affordable, providing health care to children, and aiding those most in need.

Sure, this is a center-right country, but only if you substitute addition for analysis. There are more conservatives than liberals — as there has been for years. So add them to the 44% of the electorate that says they are "moderates," and you get a center-right majority. But do a little analysis. "Moderate" isn't a place holder, as voters who describe themselves that way have attitudes on the issues of the day. And when you look at attitudes, rather than addition, there is no question: Conservatives have had their day. This is a center-left, not a center-right nation.

Barack Obama’s historic victory in 2008 spearheaded not only a change election, but a sea-change election. It marks the end of the conservative era that has dominated our politics since 1980, and the beginning of a new era of progressive reform, driven by an emerging progressive majority.

Americans wake today to a new dawn, a new possibility.

You don't have to drink the Kool-Aid to appreciate how extraordinary this is. We will look at one another with new eyes. We are a better, bigger, more generous, more optimistic people than many—particularly Karl Rove's acolytes in the McCain campaign—assumed.