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THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE

	ELECTED

John McCain	Barack Obama
Web site	Web site
Vote Smart	Vote Smart

OUR LATEST STORY: OH-BAMA! US Elects first black president

By DAVID ESPO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama swept to victory as the nation’s first black president Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself. “Change has come,” he told to a huge throng of jubilant supporters.

The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states – Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa and more.

On a night for Democrats to savor, they not only elected Obama the nation’s 44th president but padded their majorities in the House and Senate, and come January will control both the White House and Congress for the first time since 1994.

Obama win Obama’s election capped a meteoric rise – from mere state senator to president-elect in four years.

In his first speech as victor, to thousands at Grant Park in his home town of Chicago, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. “The greatest of a lifetime,” he said, “two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.”

He added, “There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.”

McCain called his former rival to concede defeat – and the end of his own 10-year quest for the White House. “The American people have spoken, and spoken clearly,” McCain told disappointed supporters in Arizona.

President Bush added his congratulations from the White House, where his tenure runs out on Jan. 20. “May God bless whoever wins tonight,” he had told dinner guests earlier.

Obama, in his speech, invoked the words of Lincoln and echoed John F. Kennedy.

“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder,” he said.

He and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009.

Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession, and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.

The popular vote was close – 51.3 percent to 47.5 percent with 73 percent of all U.S. precincts counted – but not the count in the Electoral College, where it mattered most.

There, Obama’s audacious decision to contest McCain in states that hadn’t gone Democratic in years paid rich dividends.

Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to tackle the economy. He has also pledged to withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.

A survey of voters leaving polling places on Tuesday showed the economy was by far the top Election Day issue. Six in 10 voters said so, and none of the other top issues – energy, Iraq, terrorism and health care – was picked by more than one in 10.

In Washington, the Democratic leaders of Congress celebrated. Obama win

“It is not a mandate for a party or ideology but a mandate for change,” said Senate Majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Said Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California: “Tonight the American people have called for a new direction. They have called for change in America.”

Shortly after midnight in the East, The Associated Press count showed Obama with 338 electoral votes, well over the 270 needed for victory. McCain had 141 after winning states that comprised the normal Republican base.

Interviews with voters suggested that almost six in 10 women were backing Obama nationwide, while men leaned his way by a narrow margin. Just over half of whites supported McCain, giving him a slim advantage in a group that Bush carried overwhelmingly in 2004.

The results of the AP survey were based on a preliminary partial sample of nearly 10,000 voters in Election Day polls and in telephone interviews over the past week for early voters.

Democrats also acclaimed Senate successes by former Gov. Mark Warner in Virginia, Rep. Tom Udall in New Mexico and Rep. Mark Udall in Colorado. All won seats left open by Republican retirements.

In New Hampshire, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen defeated Republican Sen. John Sununu in a rematch of their 2002 race, and Sen. Elizabeth Dole fell to Democrat Kay Hagan in North Carolina.

The Democrats also looked for gains in the House. They defeated Republican incumbents Rep. Tom Feeney and Ric Keller in Florida, 22-year veteran Chris Shays in Connecticut and Rep. Robin Hayes in North Carolina.

At least two Democrats lost their seats. Rep. Tim Mahoney fell after admitting to two extramarital affairs while serving his first term in Florida. In Louisiana, Democratic Rep. Don Cazayoux lost the seat he had won in a special election six months ago.

The resurgent Democrats also elected a governor in one of the nation’s traditional bellwether states when Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon won his race.

A dozen states elected governors, and ballots across the country were dotted with issues ranging from taxes to gay rights.

An estimated 187 million voters were registered, and in an indication of interest in the battle for the White House, 40 million or so had already voted as Election Day dawned.

Obama sought election as one of the youngest presidents, and one of the least experienced in national political affairs.

That wasn’t what set the Illinois senator apart, though – neither from his rivals nor from the other men who had served as president since the nation’s founding more than two centuries ago. A black man, he confronted a previously unbreakable barrier as he campaigned on twin themes of change and hope in uncertain times.

McCain, a prisoner of war during Vietnam, a generation older than his rival at 72, was making his second try for the White House, following his defeat in the battle for the GOP nomination in 2000.

A conservative, he stressed his maverick’s streak. And although a Republican, he did what he could to separate himself from an unpopular president.

For the most part, the two presidential candidates and their running mates, Biden and Republican Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, spent weeks campaigning in states that went for Bush four years ago.

McCain and Obama each won contested nominations – the Democrat outdistancing former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton – and promptly set out to claim the mantle of change.

Obama won California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

McCain had Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

He also won at least 3 of Nebraska’s five electoral votes, with the other two in doubt.

Obama, McCain rake in cash from local donors - South Shore residents poured close to $1 million into the presidential campaign, which is on track to crest the $1 billion mark, making it the costliest in U.S. history.

Obama big man on college campuses - Local college students reflect a recent national poll that shows that among 18-29 year olds, 61 percent support Barack Obama and 32 percent support John McCain.

Some South Shore voters still unsure on presidential choice - From coffee shop chatter in Weymouth to pet store stoops in Hingham to front lawns in Norwell, there are signs across the South Shore that indicate the presidential election, with a week to go before the polls open, is still up for grabs among locals.
Obama and McCain on the issues
16 Things you didn't know about Barack Obama
16 Things you didn't know about John McCain

Former Governor William Weld endorses Obama - Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, a Republican, endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president on Friday, citing the senator’s good judgment, “deep sense of calm” and “first-class political temperament.”

Colin Powell endorses Obama for President - Colin Powell, a Republican who was President Bush’s first secretary of state, endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president Sunday and criticized the tone of Republican John McCain’s campaign.

Palin's appearance on Saturday Night Live - If you missed Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's spot on "Saturday Night Live," where comedian Tina Fay has been impersonating her, or if you just want to see it again, well, here ya' go.

Rating the candidates for president - After Wednesday night’s debate, we asked online readers to tell us who they support for president and why. Here’s some of what they had to say.

Presidential debate a cause for partying in Hingham - While Barack Obama and John McCain debated, Democrats and Republicans in Hingham partied.

McCain and Obama turn from debates to swing states; take our poll - Fresh off their energetic debate, Republican John McCain looks to hold onto traditionally GOP states while Democrat Barrack Obama edges into that turf and pours money into TV ads less than three weeks before Election Day.

Presidential race proves to be a big voter draw - A historic presidential contest, economic turmoil and the prolonged wars in Iraq and Afghanistan appear to be pushing state and local voter registration to all-time highs. With registration for the Nov. 4 presidential election set to end at 8 tonight, some South Shore communities have enrolled voters in record numbers, raising the prospects of a record turnout.

McCain, Obama clash over causes, cures of crisis; take our poll - Barack Obama and John McCain clashed repeatedly over the causes and cures for the worst economic crisis in 80 years Tuesday night in a debate in which Republican McCain called for a sweeping $300 billion program to shield homeowners from mortgage foreclosure.

High School debate coaches grade Obama and McCain - Barack Obama and John McCain both scored passing grades in their second debate Tuesday, but two high school debate team coaches from the South Shore gave Obama higher marks.

OUR POLL: Advantage Palin, but gap narrows - In our poll on the vice presidential debate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had the edge in the early voting, but Delaware Sen. Joe Biden closed the gap later today. Read people's comments and see the complete poll results.

South Shore residents: Biden won debate, Palin won respect - A sampling of South Shore commuters this morning described the much-anticipated face-off between the two candidates for vice president as a showcase of their respective strengths.

Palin, Biden spar on Iraq, economic crisis - Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin accused Barack Obama of voting against funding for U.S. troops in combat Thursday night in their much-anticipated campaign debate and chastised his Democratic running mate, Joe Biden, for defending the move, “especially with your son in the National Guard” and headed for Iraq.

Main street eager to see vice presidential candidates debate - South Shore voters say they’re paying more attention than ever to the vice presidential candidates in this year’s election and are scrutinizing them closely.

Results of the presidential debate survey - Find out how Patriot Ledger readers felt the candidates performed.

Blacks, whites show prejudices along racial divide - Two reporters set out in two Detroit neighborhoods to gasuge the meaning and importants of race in the campaign for the White House.

South Shore residents split on debate performance - John McCain and Barack Obama were supposed to focus on foreign policy, but the economy and a pending $700 billion bailout of the U.S. financial system dominated the first half of their Friday night debate.

McCain agrees to debate with Obama tonight - Republican John McCain agreed to attend the first presidential debate Friday night even though Congress doesn’t have a bailout deal, reversing an earlier decision to delay the forum until Washington had addressed the financial crisis.

Prez debate delay debated - McCain thinks the debate should be delayed. Obama says no way.

McCain defends retirement accounts amid stock dive - Wall Street turmoil left John McCain scrambling to explain why the fundamentals of the U.S. economy remained strong. It also left him defending his support for privately investing Social Security money in the same markets that had tanked earlier in the week.

Obama says McCain is 'passing the buck' on economy - The presidential campaigns argued over who would be best able to deal with the kinds of financial meltdowns that roiled the markets this week and to prevent a similar crisis in the future. Sen. John McCain proposed a review on the order of the one led by the Sept. 11 commission, the bipartisan panel that studied the events leading to the 2001 terrorist attacks. Sen. Barack Obama accused his opponent of “opassing the buck.”

High schoolers play key role in 2008 election - whether they can vote or not - Young people already have been a force in the 2008 election cycle. In this year’s primaries, voters age 18 to 29 turned out in record numbers, in some states doubling, tripling and even quadrupling past turnout. Such political activism – even among those youth still not old enough to vote – is alive and well in South Shore schools.

Obama sends supporters to blunt Palin's impact - Barack Obama’s campaign plans to employ high-profile female supporters in an effort to blunt GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s potential to persuade women to vote Republican. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius all were scheduled to campaign for Obama in the coming weeks. Republicans say they hope Palin, who made her national debut with a feisty speech on Wednesday, could put some female voters in play.

Palin mocks Obama; McCain claiming nomination - Claiming her historic spot on the Republican ticket, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin mocked Barack Obama’s experience and promise of change Wednesday night and pledged to help John McCain upend the Washington establishment.

Voters weigh in on a pregnancy in the Palin family - They are issues many South Shore families deal with – teens and sex and risky behavior. Does it make a difference when we look at a candidate for vice president? And what are we doing to help our teens through the difficult years? We asked, and here are some answers.

Campaign money hurts Palin's outsider image - With the speech of her life looming Wednesday night, a burst of new revelations has raised more questions about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and how carefully she was scrutinized by the McCain campaign.

Republicans hail McCain, party defends Palin - President Bush led a convention chorus of praise for John McCain Tuesday night, hailing him as a “ready to lead this nation” and a courageous candidate who risked his White House ambitions to support an unpopular Iraq war. Republicans rallied behind vice presidential running mate Sarah Palin in the face of fresh controversy.

Laura Bush, Cindy McCain ask help for Gustav victims - With their plans for opening day of the Republican National Convention dashed, first lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain instead appealed to GOP faithful to donate time and money to those caught in Hurricane Gustav.

Sarah Palin biography - Biography of Governor Sarah Palin from the State of Alaska's website. Governor Sarah Palin made history on Dec. 4, 2006, when she took office. As the 11th governor of Alaska, she is the first woman to hold the office.

McCain's vice president choice popular with state Republicans - Gov. Sarah Palin’s record on corruption in her own party and wasteful government spending should win votes from conservatives, Independents and disenchanted Democrats, some Massachusetts Republicans say.

McCain makes decision on running mate - Republican presidential candidate John McCain decided on a running mate early Thursday, and top prospects waited to hear from the nominee-in-waiting.

Obama to woo nation with historic speech - Barack Obama stands before delegates and the nation Thursday – the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech – to accept the Democratic presidential nomination, the first black man to claim such a prize. The drama of his long, emotional primary struggle against Hillary Rodham Clinton behind him at last, Obama’s long-awaited convention speech will propel him into a tough sprint to Election Day, a mere nine weeks away.

State House News Service convention podcast - Listen to the State House News Service's daily podcast from the convention.

Patrick draws on own story to praise Obama - Gov. Deval Patrick drew from his own inspirational story to praise Barack Obama, his friend and political confidant, during a prime-time speech Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention.

Clinton defeated in race, not in hearts; S. Shore supporters disappointed - The Democratic Party will nominate the first major-party black candidate in Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, despite lingering hopes among supporters that they choose the first major-party female candidate in New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

The Race is History - The principle that all men are created equal has never been more than a remote eventuality in the quest for the presidency. But with the Democratic nomination finally in Barack Obama’s grasp, that ideal is no longer relegated to someday.