"Change We Can Believe In" Wins
All the votes have been cast, the ballots tallied and the results are finally in after long months of campaigning and polling. Barack Obama has become the forty fourth President of the United States at age 47 as a first time senator. Winning not only the electoral college majority, but the popular vote as well, Obama’s victory was a monumental landslide.
Obama’s participation as a potential presidential candidate was at one time very unsure. During the primaries he struggled along side the other contenders,Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, John Edwards and of course, Hillary Clinton, for the democratic nomination. Eventually the true competition emerged between Hillary and Obama as they battled for each and every delegate available in the very last primaries and caucuses. Triumphantly, Obama defeated Clinton with 52% of the delegates, and went on to receive the Democratic Party’s nomination, with Joe Biden as his running mate.
From there, the real race began. Republican nominee John McCain fought hard, through political ads, speeches and through debates. Candidates traded criticism and compliments all mixed with each other to create the delicate balance of American politics. Everything from a candidates age, race, alleged religion, or even how many houses they owned became public knowledge for voters as the candidates’ personal lives were spilled across the media. Both candidates put their heart and soul into their campaigns as they traveled both across the United States and abroad. Even on the day of the election, both candidates were traveling to various places and speaking to people as they themselves voted. "Michelle took a long time,” jokes Obama, "I had to check to see who she was voting for." In spite of John McCain’s most honorable, valiant efforts, Obama emerged victorious.
Not only did Obama win, but he had a remarkable win. A total of seven states that had previously voted Republican changed to favor Democrats, which is an astounding accomplishment for any politician to have. Exit polls revealed that Obama had a major victory with younger voters, winning 68% of voters ages 18-24. In fact, Obama won every age demographic except voters over the age of 65 which McCain won, with only a 10% margin. Ironically, in spite of what most media stations predicted, age was a more deciding demographic than race was. Even more so than John McCain, Sarah Palin faired horrible in exit polls. Over 60% of Americans disapproved of her as a potential Vice President.
After all was said and done, McCain graciously congratulated Obama on his astounding victory during his speech in Arizona. “The American people have spoken,” says McCain,” and they have spoken clearly....his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.”
Perhaps one of the most emotional speeches in the history of American politics was given on midnight when Obama first spoke to the nation as the President elect. Many people watched with tears of elation forming in their eyes as Obama inspired the crowd of over 125,000 people packed into Grant Park. “If there is anyone out there who doubts that America is a place where anything is possible...tonight is your answer,” he began. “Young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans have sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of people or red states and blue states. We have been and always will be the United States of America.”
Judging by not only the results of the election, but by the flood of emotion sweeping an entire nation off its feet as hope overwhelms so many people, it has been decided that Obama truly is change America believes in.
