In a historic election lasting over 21 months, Senator Barack Obama was elected president on November 4th. While the results from some states are not yet known, Obama will win at least 338 Electoral College votes to John McCain's 168. (A candidate must win over 270 votes to win the election.) Voter turnout was the largest ever with 64% of the eligible voters (over 130,000,000) casting ballots. Several hundred thousand people gathered to listen to Senator Obama give his victory speech at Grant Park in Chicago at around midnight after Senator John McCain had already given a concession speech. Obama spoke of a 106 year old woman who cast her ballot in this election, of the events she had seen and the changes that are promised with his election. Senator McCain after congratulating Obama claimed all responsibilities for any missteps of his campaign and thanked all of his supporters. Quotes "For that is the true genius of America -- that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow."-President Elect Barack Obama "This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight."- Senator John McCain Warm Up Questions 1. Did you watch Barack Obama's speech upon winning the presidential contest? If so, what did you think of it?2. There have been 44 presidents, how many can you name?3. How many candidates can you name from this election? Discussion Questions 1. Many pundits have said that this is a historical moment for the country, the election of the first African American president; do you think this is historic? Why or why not?2. Obama spoke of a woman who is 106 years old, what changes do you think she has witnessed? What will we see in another 106 years?3. What are Obama's greatest challenges? 4. Voters turned out in record numbers, why do you think that happened? Do you think that 64% is large enough? How would you increase voter turnout? Additional Resources Text of Obama's Speech Text of McCain's Speech