YES, HE COULD!

Barack Obama first black president; Skelos, McCarthy re-elected

By Mayer Fertig and Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

Senator Barack Obama made history Tuesday, earning a decisive victory over Senator John McCain to become the 44th president of the United States, and the first black man to win the job.

President-elect Obama’s impending election was looked upon with grave apprehension by many Orthodox Jewish voters who professed concern about his foreign policy positions in general, and his attitudes toward Israel in particular.

Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, who won re-election Tuesday, said she hoped the president-elect would reassure Jewish voters.

“I hope that within the first few months he'll go back to Israel and spend some time there to alleviate some of the fears that the Jewish community has.”

McCarthy also predicted good economic news to come.

"We’ll be able to prove that Democrats are fiscally responsible. It will be painful but we’ll get the country on the right track,” McCarthy said.

She handily beat back a challenge by Mineola Mayor Jack Martins.

State Senator Dean Skelos also won re-election Tuesday, easily foiling an attempt to unseat him by West Hempstead law professor Roy Simon.

While Simon failed to gain traction against the powerful and popular Skelos, it was unclear late Tuesday night if Skelos would get to hold onto the post of Senate Majority Leader, to which he was elected several months ago.

The state GOP lost its razor-thin majority in the Senate. Democrats won a majority in that house for the first time in generations.

Obama’s election was bittersweet, coming just one day after the death of the grandmother who raised him. In his concession speech, Senator John McCain offered his sympathies, calling President-elect Obama a “fine man.”