The historic election of 2008 will not only be remembered for electing the first African-American president, but for other subtler changes in the future makeup and direction of America.

Moorpark College held a Year of Democracy panel discussion on Thursday, Nov. 13 to recap the election season.

Tim Herdt, the Ventura County Star’s Sacramento Bureau Chief, moderated the panel. The three other guests were Dr. Martin Johnson, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Riverside, Dr. Brian Newman, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Pepperdine University and Tony Biasotti, a writer for the Ventura County Star.

Biasotti led off the discussion when Herdt posed the question of what the most significant aspect of the election was. He went on to recite the results of the Electoral College and popular vote with an emphasis on how poorly the republicans did in traditionally strong republican territory.

“If the Republicans are losing Thousand Oaks, then they’re in trouble,” Biasotti said.

“It was a perfect storm for republicans,” said Lisa Willers, 19, nursing major that was brought to the event by her professor. “I’m glad I came, it was interesting to get different perspectives.”

The questions then turned to answer the causes of the republican meltdown. Dr. Newman described the electorate’s feeling of wanting a new regime to take a shot at the problems facing America.

“With Bush’s approval rating at all-time lows and with the economy tanking, it was a democratic year no matter how you slice it,” said Newman.

Newman went on to say that he saw a peculiar phenomenon in the south where democrats have won for the first time in decades but with a twist. The victorious democrats were a new pro-gun/pro-life conservative democrat, one that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi might start having trouble herding in votes that involve social issues and that these “New Democrats” break from the San Fransisco-liberal faction of the party.

An example of one of these victories was Alabama’s 2nd District where eight-term incumbent, republican Terry Everett, was not running for reelection. With the seat open, the democrats fielded Bobby Bright, a conservative democrat, that defeated republican Jay Love by a slim margin.

“This is the year the national electorate turned into the California electorate,” said Herdt. “Only the orange curtain (Orange County) remained impenetrable.”

For more information on Year of Democracy events please go to www.moorparkcollege.edu/yearof