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Election Roundup: Why Obama Won, Naked Palin, etc. [Adventures in Capitalism]

As a campaign junkie, it's going to be hard to come down from the high of watching this riveting election cycle unfold (even though the actual election lacked much drama beyond wondering if the Democrats would make it to 60 Senate seats). I've already written at length about the major issues, so I'll just draw your attention to two excellent roundups:

Reader's Digest of all people has a great rundown on Why Obama Won:

1. John McCain's age
2. The shrinking Republican brand
3. Obama's charisma
4. The youth vote
5. Superior technology
6. Money, money, money
7. International opinion
8. Bradley Effect backlash
9. An unhappy electorate
10. The economic crisis

I definitely recommend giving it a read; it's a reasoned, systematic look at the election--the sort of thing I'd write myself, but which has already been done for me.

Newsweek's Behind The Scenes "Highlights"

Fascinating look behind the scenes, including the following tidbits:

• Before the last debate, the McCain team fought over whether or not to tell McCain that the election was effectively over. They narrowly decided to fight on.

• The night she conceded, Hillary Clinton had a long and friendly phone conversation with John McCain. The two shared a dislike of Obama, whom they considered "callow and flashy."

• At the GOP convention, when Schmidt and Salter went to brief Palin, she appeared fresh out of the shower, wearing only a towel and a hair towel. "I'll be just a minute," she told the stunned staffers, suggesting they chat with Todd while she was getting ready.

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