WASHINGTON (AFP). The Democratic candidate Barrack Obama achieved a massive historic victory this Tuesday over his Republican rival, John McCain, in his 74th year, to be the first African-American elected president.
Obama said in his first speech as the president elect in front of tens of thousands of his supporters, who rallied in the vast Grant Park garden in Chicago, “It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.”
He added: “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”
He directed his speech to his supporters, “It’s your victory.”
Obama acknowledged his Republican rival, John McCain “endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine.”
Obama also paid tribute to his wife, Michele and two daughters, Maya and Sasha who walk with him to the podium.
When Obama finished his speech, he was joined by Democratic Candidate for Vice-President, Joe Biden and his family.
Sixty-five thousand of Obama’s supporters unleashed cheers, waving U.S. flags and “Yes, we can!” banners, which has been the slogan used by the President elect since the beginning of his campaign and is still being reiterated.
Manifestations of joy swept through several U.S. cities including Washington, D.C.
The Republican candidate John McCain acknowledged his defeat, and said in front of a group of his supporters in Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, which is his stronghold, said he called Barrack Obama and congratulated him on his victory.
McCain believes that these elections had been “I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.”
Television networks did not wait for election results to be announced at 4:00 GMT on Wednesday morning on the West coast of the United States to declare Obama’s victory, in which he won more than 333 of electoral collage votes (out of 538).
Obama was elected in a country where black people had no right to vote until half a century ago.
And it was Obama himself who said after winning the Democratic Party nomination months ago, “who would have thought that a black man in the fifth decade of his life named Barrack Obama would become the candidate of the democratic party one day.”
This victory comes, for many countries, after eight years of George W. Bush’s administration, which has angered foreign public opinion due to its foreign policy described as aggressive and unilateral.
Obama is inheriting a difficult economic situation as United States and the whole world are facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression in 1929.
He’s also inheriting two U.S.-led wars, simultaneously, in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama, who led a campaign under the slogan of “change and hope,” has a heavy task, which is to revive the American economy, control the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, deal with public budget deficit of up to 500 billion dollars and improve the deteriorating image of the United States to the whole world.
Obama has vowed to reduce the taxes of 95% of Americans who have incomes below 250 thousand dollars a year and launch large-scale projects in areas of clean energy, infrastructure and providing health care for all.
Furthermore, Obama wants a “responsible withdrawal” from Iraq within a range of between 18 and 24 months and a strong focus on fighting al Qaeda.
Obama will take over on January 20th, 2009. But, he said in an interview with CNN, he would begin immediately, if elected, to discuss issues of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially with leadership of the U.S. military.
Polling officials said that participation in this election was “unprecedented.”
Experts had estimated the number of people that would vote would be between 130 and 135 million voters and at only 120 million in the 2004 elections.
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