election

Hope. It was the word for the Obama campaign, epitomized by the famous Shepard Fairey poster, with eyes uplifted, bright primary colors declaring that Americans believed in something good again. Last year on election day, we discussed the election and the future of America; hoping for an Obama victory and with it some restoration of the things we'd lost under Bush. This year, we look back with some of our guests from that day on what they said then and what they think now.

In a special one-hour show, we convene two panels of GRITtv regular guests to talk about these questions, the election results, and what progressives need to do better going forward into 2010. Joining us are Katrina vanden Heuvel and Chris Hayes of The Nation, Jehmu Greene of the Women's Media Center and formerly of Rock the Vote, James Rucker of Color Of Change, Danny Schechter of News Dissector, Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake, Ron Reagan and Mark Green of Air America, and Esther Armah of WBAI.

One year ago, Americans were energized to elect Barack Obama president, casting more votes than had ever been cast in a U.S. election. Now it's election day again, and with Democratic candidates facing tough races in several states, we take a look at what the left can learn from religious organizations, who manage to keep people coming back week after week. Does religion have a place in social justice movements, and does the right have a lock on religious motivation to act? Joining us to debate the proper place of religion and spirituality on the Left are Michael De Dora, the Rev.

The Al Franken-Norm Coleman Senate race is finally over. After eight months of ballot counting, charges, and counter charges Minnesota's Supreme Court ruled 5-0 declaring Franken the winner. And Coleman conceded evidently deciding not to appeal to the nation's highest court. Through it all no one has followed the story more closely than The Uptake, a patchwork of community groups and organizations committed to making citizen journalism work.