YESTERDAY, AMERICA ELECTED THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, SEN. BARACK OBAMA OF ILLINOIS.
OBAMA WAS DECLARED PRESIDENT JUST AFTER 11PM LAST NIGHT, AFTER PASSING THE NEEDED 210 ELECTORAL VOTES WITH VICTORIES IN CALIFORNIA AND WASHINGTON STATE. HE BLEW OUT REPUBLICAN OPPONENT, SEN. JOHN MCCAIN IN THE KEY VICTORY STATES OF OHIO, FLORIDA, VIRGINIA, AND PENNSYLVANIA. OBAMA WOULD ULTIMATELY WIN INDIANA AFTER MIDNIGHT BRINGING HIS TOTAL OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES TO 349, WHILE MCCAIN WON MONTANA, BRINGING HIS TOTAL TO 163.
FOLLOWING HIS CALL CF CONCESSION TO THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN, MCCAIN GAVE WHAT MANY CALL A VERY ADMIRABLE AND GRACEFUL CONCESSIONS SPEECH BEFORE SUPPORTERS IN PHOENIX. HE LIKE, OBAMA BOTH SPOKE ON THE HISTORIC IMPACT OF THE ELECTION. "THIS IS AN HISTORIC ELECTION, AND I RECOGNIZE THE SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IT HAS FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE SPECIAL PRIDE THAT MUST BE THEIRS TONIGHT," MCCAIN SAID.
OBAMA NOT ONLY SET RECORDS IN HISTORY BOOKS BY BECOMING THE NATIONS 44TH PRESIDENT AND THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN, BUT ALSO BY BECOMING THE DEMOCRAT SINCE JIMMY CARTER IN 1976 TO RECEIVE MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE POPULAR VOTE AND TO TRANSFORM THE ELECTORAL MAP.
OBAMA IS THE 5TH YOUNGEST MAN ELECTED TO A FIRST PRESIDENTIAL TERM, THE 16TH SENATOR TO ASCEND THE OFFICE, AND THE FIRST SINCE KENNEDY'S ELECTION IN 1960.
ACCORDING TO A WHITE HOUSE REPORT, BUSH CALLED OBAMA AT 11:12 PM TO OFFER HIS CONGRATULATIONS. "I PROMISE TO MAKE THIS A SMOOTH TRANSITION. YOU ARE ABOUT TO GO ON ONE OF THE GREAT JOURNEYS OF LIFE. CONGRATULATIONS, AND GO ENJOY YOURSELF," BUSH SAID.
SHORTLY AFTER NETWORKS AROUND THE WORLD PROCLAIMED HIS VICTORY, OBAMA WOULD STAND BEFORE A CROWD OF MORE THAN 125,000 PEOPLE AT CHICAGO'S GRANT PARK, INCLUDING FAMOUS FIGURES LIKE OPRAH, AND JESSIE JACKSON TO FORMERLY DECLARE HIS PRESIDENCY AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT AND DREAMS OF HIS SUPPORTERS.
SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST
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