By Jesse Fries

As you now know, even if you’re hidden under a rather significant rock, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president by a rather significant margin. What you may not know is what happened around the country, or the underlying factors behind Obama’s historic victory.
The Outcasts
In Alaska, convicted felon Ted Stevens (R) leads Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) by almost 3000 votes, with 50,000 absentee votes to be counted. This race will be interesting to watch, as a Steven’s victory will almost certainly lead to expulsion hearings. Many in the pundit-ocracy are saying Governor Sarah Palin may run in a special election. With her popularity ratings very high, this would likely allow her to be a Senator for four years, while building her resume for a 2012 presidential run.
The fate of another Senate pariah, Joe Lieberman, will also be interesting to watch. Lieberman, an Independent who routinely votes and supports the Democrats, drew the ire of many Democrats with his support of John McCain for president. Lieberman, who according to the New York Times, met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to discuss his future as a member of the Democratic caucus. Look to see if Lieberman re-liberalizes, leans conservative, or becomes an X-factor voting whichever way he pleases.
By the Thinnest of Margins
In many states elections came down to a razor thin margin. Senators, Congress members and both Presidential candidates received results that placed victory margins at less than 1 percent. In Minnesota, comedian/satirist Al Franken (D) trails incumbent Senator Norm Coleman (R) by only 600 votes, with a recount to be completed in the next week.
In Indiana, North Carolina, and Missouri the state decided their presidential choice by less than one percent, with North Carolina and Indiana going for Obama and Missouri for McCain. The tight margin and Democratic victory in North Carolina likely helped catalyze Kay Hagan’s (D) victory over multi-term incumbent Senator Elizabeth Dole (R).
Random Thoughts
This election, some argue, was a sign of the end of the Republican Party. However, when you look at many of the Democrats elected, they were moderate, or just left of center. The more appropriate argument would be that the election is a movement away from the Bush years and towards a more moderate, bi-partisan government.