News Headline One Year From Now: "McCain Defeats Clinton"!!!

Republican Senator John McCain was elected president last evening, defeating Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic nominee. McCain's victory came by winning the "red" states that supported President Bush in 2004, while also winning independents to capture the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

McCain ran a disciplined campaign that focused on the issues of reforming the culture of Washington and vigorously prosecuting the war on terror. Political experts expressed surprise that McCain was able to wrest the mantle of change away from Clinton, given that she represented the party out of power which normally lays claim to being the agent of change.

Exit polling showed that voters rejected Clinton's health care plan, a central message of her campaign, by a substantial margin because of its heavy reliance on federal government mandates and the inevitable higher taxes and lower quality of care that would result. In contrast, voters gave McCain's plan, which focuses on reducing costs and empowering individuals and families to strengthen the health care system, an overwhelming stamp of approval.

McCain was tireless in arguing that he was the real agent of change in the race. He noted that only he could reform a "culture of tax and spend" in the nation's capitol and contended that Senator Clinton was far more comfortable playing the old game of advocating new government programs, rather than making the existing programs more effective. McCain also benefitted from being the more experienced candidate who could best handle foreign policy and fight the war on terror.

In the end, McCain's appeal to political independents enabled him to win key Midwestern battleground states that were thought to be safe for Clinton. Political observers were of the view that in this otherwise difficult political year, McCain had unique appeal to swing voters in these key states. "I'm not sure any other Republican could have won these voters," said network pollster Lawrence Smith...