Barack Obama was elected the nation’s first black president Tuesday night, breaking down the final racial barrier in American politics.
In a decisive victory over Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Illinois senator’s message of change apparently resonated with voters at a time of extreme economic turmoil in the U.S., a theme that exit polls showed was on the minds of many voters as they left polling sites Tuesday.
Obama addressed those concerns at his victory speech in Chicago’s Grant Park. He told screaming supporters that America showed the world they have the ability to stand together and make their voices heard.
“We have never been just a collection of individuals” …. “We are and always will be the United States of America.”
Obama said the election was a watershed moment in U.S. history.
“It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.”
Obama told supporters that there will be difficult challenges ahead, and that the win was merely the beginning.
“I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. The challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime…The true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scare of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals, democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.”
The outcome of the election started shaping up Tuesday evening, when Obama won the key states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, the former representing a particularly crushing blow to McCain.
In his concession speech in front of supporters at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, McCain acknowledged the decisive nature of the victory.
“…The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly,” McCain told his supporters.
After conceding the election, McCain pledged to work with Obama during his presidency.
McCain also thanked his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, for her hard work during the campaign, calling her “one of the best campaigners I have ever seen.”
The election seemed to energize voters across the U.S., many of whom stood on line for hours to cast their ballots. Obama also seems to have resonated strongly with young voters.
According to the Associated Press, more than two-thirds of voters younger than 30 supported Obama. The overwhelming majority of black voters and about three-quarters of Hispanic voters in that age bracket said they voted for Obama.
Island Vote ’08 Election Center
Sen. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech
Sen. John McCain’s concession speech
