This Was a Big Election

An excellent point from Obama pollster Joel Benenson on election day as reported in Time:

This was not a small election. This was a big election. But McCain talked about earmarks instead of about changing the tax code. When the issue was energy independence, his focal point was drilling instead of getting us off this addiction to oil.

Barack Obama spoke to a kind of change that resonated with Americans. They have grown weary not just of the type of politics we've seen but also of how politics has gotten in the way of solving real problems. In this campaign, voters have always known the stakes were very high.

The stakes are large for rural schools and communities. Are we going to continue down the path of suburbanizing rural schools or are we going to solve the real problems facing rural schools. It will take a clear vision of what rural schools can be, a comprehensive plan for achieving that vision, and a organized effort to achieve it. Anything is possible in America.