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Obama stressed the importance of the moment to about 70,000
supporters during an outdoor rally in Chicago's Grant Park,
telling them that "change has come."
"This is our moment. This is our time... to reclaim the
American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth -- that
out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and
where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell
us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed
that sums up the spirit of a people: yes we can," Obama
told the electrified crowd late Tuesday.
Voter concerns about the unstable U.S. economy and dissatisfaction
with the presidency of George W. Bush helped Obama to victory.
He won battleground states such as Florida, Ohio, Indiana,
North Carolina and Virginia, which were all won by Bush in
the last presidential election.
A historic moment
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A crowd of more than 70,000 Obama supporters gathered
in Chicago on election night to wait for results and hear
him speak. |
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Beyond the political shift
from eight years of Republican power to the Democratic Party,
Obama also acknowledged the historic nature of his election.
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America
is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders
if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still
questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer,"
Obama said.
The massive crowd gathered in Chicago's Grant Park on election
night erupted when the media projected Obama to win the presidency.
"There's a reverence that's taken effect among the thousands
of people here," NewsHour Senior Correspondent Judy Woodruff
reported from Chicago. "It's a moment of awe. People here
know they're witnessing history... I don't think I've seen anything
like this."
Within moments of the media projection for Obama, his Republican
opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, congratulated Obama and
conceded the race.
"The American people have spoken and spoken clearly,"
McCain told a crowd of supporters in Arizona.
"This is an historic election and I recognize the significance
it has for African-Americans and the special pride that must
be theirs tonight," McCain said.
Analysts were quick to agree with the Republican's assessment.
"Americans will look at their country differently tomorrow,"
NewsHour analyst Mark Shields said Tuesday night.
World response
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Celebrations were held in countries around the world when
news of Obama's win broke. |
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The U.S. presidential
election has been closely watched around the world. Obama has
been a popular figure in many countries and celebrations broke
out on news of his victory everywhere from Europe to his late
father's home of Kenya.
"What an inspiration. He is the first truly global U.S.
president the world has ever had," Pracha Kanjananont,
a 29-year-old Thai sitting at a Starbucks in Bangkok told
the British paper The Times.
"He had an Asian childhood, African parentage and has
a Middle Eastern name. He is a truly global president."
World leaders rushed to congratulate Obama on Wednesday.
"At a time when we must face huge challenges together,
your election has raised enormous hope in France, in Europe
and beyond," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said, reported
BBC News.
In London, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, "Barack
Obama ran an inspirational campaign, energizing politics with
his progressive values and his vision for the future."
Historian Richard Norton Smith told the NewsHour Obama's
election sends a strong message to the world.
"In a larger sense, it would also be an extraordinary
... announcement to the rest of the world. Don't write us
off. Don't pigeon-hole the United States," he said.
"How many other Democratic societies around the world
are capable of doing this themselves?"
Voter turn-out
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More than 126 million people cast their votes for the
2008 election. |
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It was a diverse electorate
that supplied the historic change. Between 126.5 million and
128.5 million votes were cast this year, according to Curtis
Gans, director of American University's Center for the Study
of the American Electorate, reported the Wall Street Journal.
Earlier projections had that number higher and some thought
the rate of voter turn-out could surpass the record 62.5 percent
turnout for the 1968 election. Gans estimate puts the rate
at between 60.7 percent and 61.7 percent. A lower turn-out
of Republican voters could be the reason, Gans said.
While it may not have broken the 1968 record, the 2008 election
will go down in history regardless.
"In 50 years when people write textbooks this will be
the first page of a chapter," New York Times columnist
David Brooks said after Obama's address. "A chapter ended
and a chapter of some sort is beginning."
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I think we've been witnessing violence for years, whether in reality through the media or through video games, and I don't think that's a first-hand effect.
