What people said about Obama's win

Barack Obama's historic win Tuesday stirred strong reactions among people in the Lowcountry. Black leaders marveled at the election of America's first black president, a day many thought they might never see. Some residents felt excited about change, while others were cautious about following a leader whose views differed sharply from their own. Here are the thoughts of some local residents about the significance of this week's presidential election:

**********

"Now, I can look at my grandson and say, 'Hey, guy, you really can be anything you want to be.' "

— U.S. Rep. and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn

"It's a new day for America. It will raise our prestige in the world. ... We've already started to lay the groundwork for (economic recovery). What's critical for Barack Obama is how a recovery is going to be managed. A fresh set of ideas is going to be beneficial."

—Hugh Lane, President of The Bank of South Carolina

"I think Obama's victory will lead our country onto a new and better path. I am very excited about Obama's victory and what it means to our nation. In this time of economic crisis and disillusion, my generation is able to envision a future of economic growth, health care for all of our nation's young and old, educational improvements, and military stability. . . . I have never felt so proud to be an American."

—Amandalyn Jones, College of Charleston senior and corporate communications major

"As a civil rights advocate, it's one of the proudest days of my life. I just wish some of those guys I marched with were still alive to see this."

—State Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston

"You only see this once in a lifetime. I only wish my mom were alive to see this. ... It really doesn't matter what color you are as long as your heart is into it and you're here to make America go where it should be."

—Gina Idris, 28, a Charleston resident

"As I studied him, I was convinced he had transformative leadership. I felt he could bridge the racial divide and the political divide, and he was charismatic in a way that very few national leaders have been in my lifetime."

—Charleston Mayor Joe Riley

"For him to win 40 years after I got out of high school, the Orangeburg massacre my senior year, the Martin Luther King assassination, the assassination of Robert Kennedy. We were at the bottom, some of the darkest days, some of the most woeful days. It shows that the work was not in vain."

—The Rev. Nelson B. Rivers III, chief of Field Operations for the NAACP

"Now that the people have spoken, it's time to focus on making the United States of America the best we can."

—Rabbi Ari Sytner, Brith Sholom Beth Israel Synagogue

"On campus, everybody had a feeling of pride and unity. Kids who barely watch the news watched the news last night to see what was happening. This really unified a lot of the smaller communities but also the nation itself and other nations, too." Obama will "bring the nation more together. I believe we first must unify as a nation in order to rebuild our economy and solve any other problems."

—Israel Lancaster, a 17-year-old senior at Burke High School

"The significance of Obama's victory to me is that America has come a long way. . . . America has elected the first African-American president, which is an illustration of change, but most of all, it's a symbol of a brighter America."

—Latasha M. Ravenell, a College of Charleston senior and business major

"I really enjoyed hearing the speeches by both the winning and losing side last night. Basically what they said is true. We are one country. We are one America and we will come together. The bottom line is, everybody always gets apprehensive with new leadership, but it usually works out. We've gone through some trying times in the last four years but we're still here; we're fine."

—North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey

"Being an African-American, you can't not be happy. It's been a long time coming. Seeing Washington, D.C., burn from Martin Luther King's assassination, it's nice to see this time come."

—Julian Gooding of Summerville, an independent television producer and media artist

"I think it will be a better America. . . . People are tired of the way things ar e running. . . . People don't have jobs, can't take care of their families, are going into foreclosure. . . . We're going into a depression."

—The Rev. Charles Glover, Nazarene Baptist Church on Savannah Highway

"I think the greatest significance is within the African-American community. African-Americans now are more likely to see themselves as included. They, too, can become president of the United States. I think that symbolism is what's most important."

—Bill Moore, College of Charleston political scientist