So....
What does it all mean? Well it means a couple of things:
The campaign was basically fought with both candidates delivering simple message:
I AM NOT GEORGE W BUSH.
The result proves that it is easier for a young black democrat to convince the US that he's not George W Bush than an old white republican. That's fair enough. Good call people of the USA.
The Dems have outright control of both houses of the US legislature. Now this is a big deal - really big with an outright majority the senate. However, it's not as big a deal as it would be in Australia as US legislators cross the floor all the time. In Australia you cross the floor once and your party kicks you out, and bays for the blood till you retire (or die a la Mal Colston)... It's one of the facets of representative politics that I think the US has right. So we'll see exactly what this 'control' amounts to over the coming 2 (probably at least 4) years they've got it.
In spite of the election of a (to my understanding) fairly left leaning Democrat - a number of ballot measures still passed that amounted to gay marriage bans in the 3 states where they were put up - including California. I imagine the courts will still recognise the unions in a legal sense - I dunno how it works there - but it's bye bye marriage licenses for now...
America will pull out of Iraq sooner rather than later. Although as the draw down in troop numbers had been rolling along quite well, this may just speed the withdrawal up a few years....
America will take environmental issues a bit more seriously. I don't think they could have taken them any less seriously than under Bush. But there'll be no "Drill baby Drill!".
America may (fingers crossed) develop some kind of Medicare system.
But the biggest one: The US president-elects campaign was not funded by lobbyists and special interest groups. Exactly what effect this has on the Obama presidency is yet to be seen. But I'm an optimist :).
