| Obama wins historic US election |
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| Written by Egypt News | |
| Sunday, 16 November 2008 | |
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Democratic Senator Barack Obama has been elected the first black president of the United States "It's been a long time coming, but tonight... change has come to America," the president-elect told a jubilant crowd at a victory rally in Chicago
His rival John McCain accepted defeat, saying "I deeply admire and commend" Mr Obama . He called on his supporters to lend the next president their goodwill.
He says the American people have made two fundamental statements about themselves: that they are profoundly unhappy with the status quo, and that they are slamming the door on the country's racial past.
Many people in the vast crowd, which stretched back far into the Chicago night, wept as Obama spoke.
"He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine," the victor said.
"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. But America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there."
Then came the news that he had also seized Florida, Virginia and Colorado - all of which voted Republican in 2004 - turning swathes of the map from red to blue.
The main developments include: • He is also projected to have won: Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, Maryland, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon. • McCain is projected to have won: Montana, Alaska, Kentucky, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, North Dakota, Wyoming, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota. • Turnout was reported to be extremely high - in some places "unprecedented". • The Democrats made gains in the Senate race, seizing seats from the Republicans in Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Colorado. They also increased their majority of the House of Representatives. • Exit polls suggest the economy was the major deciding factor for six out of 10 voters. • Nine out of 10 said the candidates' race was not important to their vote, the Associated Press reported. Almost as many said age did not matter. Several states reported very high turnout. It was predicted 130 million Americans, or more, would vote - more than for any election since 1960. Many people said they felt they had voted in a historic election - and for many African-Americans the moment was especially poignant.
John Lewis, an activist in the civil rights era who was left beaten on an Alabama bridge 40 years ago, told Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church: "This is a great night. It is an unbelievable night. It is a night of thanksgiving." Democrats won several Senate seats from the Republicans, but seemed unlikely to gain the nine extra they wanted to reach the 60-seat "super-majority" that could prevent Republicans blocking legislation.
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