Summerville Journal Scene
The 47-year-old Democratic Senator spoke to hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago on election night with a message of change and hope for the future.
“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,” Obama said.
Voters came out in record numbers to elect Obama as the nation’s 44th president. He won battleground states including Florida, Ohio, Iowa and Virginia.
Obama defeated Republican competitor Sen. John McCain with nearly 200 more electoral votes and 55 percent of the popular vote.
He acknowledged the outpouring of support in his acceptance speech.
“I was never the likeliest candidate for this office,” Obama said. “We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.”
“This is your victory,” he added, as thousands of supporters cheered.
The Hawaii-born senator, born to an African-American father and white mother, is a newcomer to the political landscape. He served in the U.S. Senate for less than one term.
His campaign was built on the goal of making a change in government. He proposed a health care plan that would provide coverage to all Americans and he is touting a middle class tax cut that would affect nearly 95 percent of American workers.
Despite these lofty goals, Obama brought the crowd back to reality in the midst of the election-night celebration, reminding them of the problems facing the country.
“There’s new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair,” he said. “The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.”
On the other side, McCain’s concession speech paid respect to Obama and those who elected him.
“The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly,” McCain said in front of a disheartened crowd in Arizona. “This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.”
When some in the crowd booed Obama’s name, McCain discouraged them from jeering at Obama’s win.
“We fought — we fought as hard as we could. And though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours.”
One of the states McCain did win was South Carolina. Close to 978,000 voters selected McCain to lead the country, 54 percent overall. In Dorchester County, the margin was a lot bigger with 57 percent — nearly 30,000 people — voting for McCain, versus 41 percent, or close to 22,000 people voting for Obama.
Dorchester County Republican Chairman Arthur Bryngelson said those numbers were very telling about the climate in the county.
“The Republican Party is alive and well in Dorchester County,” Bryngelson said.
The Democrats, however, were busy celebrating their national victory. The day after the election, the Dorchester Democratic Party Web Site had big, colorful letters on its home page stating, “We won!!! President Obama!!”
Party Chairman Steve Yeomans said Obama will bring a big change to the way the government operates.
“I think we’re looking for a change in how American does business world-wide and (Obama) will bring about that change,” Yeomans said. “We’re going to see a lot of people involved (in politics) that were not involved before. The fact of the matter is that Americans made history yesterday. We are very excited about it.”
Contact Jenny Peterson at 873-9424 ext. 216 or JPeterson@journalscene.com.
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Diane, I waited in line for three hours, just in front of you. (Mom of five?) It's nice to later learn we voted the same way!
Posted by: Your neighbor
When Clinton left office, we had a national surplus of $230 billion. In his final year, he reduced the national deficit by $360 billion to about $5 trillion. Since Bush has been in office, our national debt has ballooned to $10 trillion and for the past year, has increased $4 billion per day. What I'd like to know is how any Republican can consider that financially conservative? I've heard a lot of concern that the Democrats will tax and spend, but the current administration has outspent the former administration by five times. In fact, Bush and his fellow Republicans have outspent every administration in the past thirty years and the defense budget cannot be blamed. We could not AFFORD another eight years of Republican rule. It's bankrupted us already! http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3184
Posted by: Mystified
Like it or not, he is OUR president for the next 4 years. We, as a nation need to stand behind him and support him. If he proves unworthy of that support; we will rethink that position prior to the next election. I did not vote for him, but I will give him the opportunity to get this great country back on track.
Posted by: The Loyal Opposition
This is a factual article about what happened on November 4th, including candidate quotes and South Carolina voting statistics. It's not a fluff piece profiling the "joy and exhilaration" of Obama's win - read People magazine for that. Biased? Bitter? Are we reading the same article?????
Posted by: Cameron Anderson
PLEASE! The reason we can't count on our 401Ks is because of the failed policies of the Bush administration, who brought socialism to US business. And possibly a bit of fascism too.
Posted by:
Socialism on the way. Hope you don't count on your 401K.
Posted by: Truthsayer
OK Listen KM, Journalism is NOT supposed to be biased. It should represent the event it is talking about. This article simply did not. It did not talk at all about the grandness of this time. Rather, it turned the republican response. “The Republican Party is alive and well in Dorchester County,” Bryngelson said This comment is ridiculious! Again, Its not them against us or us against them.
Posted by: SEL
Listen SEL, journalism is not supposed to be biased. I think the author did a fine job of encapsulating the excitement that the "MAJORITY" (albeit slight in the grand scope of things) of voters had. And trust me, if you don't like Obama, this article could be perceived at just the opposite end of the spectrum, depending on the way you choose to interpret it. And since when can you really gauge the 'excitement level' connoted in text? I think the author did a great job. I also think that you need to get a hobby or something. Maybe a clue.
Posted by: KM, ATL
This article does not share the joy and exhilaration the MAJORITY of the United States feels about the election of Obama. It sounds bitter and as though South Carolina is not willing acknowledge any change or open mindedness. People; black, white, tan, striped, an all danced in the streets with tears of joy and unity at the announcement of our new President. This is not about democrats against republicans or black against white its about people coming together and standing up for what they believe in, a change from taking care of the big business to taking care of the people. I think it is sad that so many people vote republican just because they always have, their church tells them to, or they are afraid their neighbor will find out. President Elect Barak Obama and VP Joe Biden where elected for their truth, energy, consistency, and dedication to this country. This election was watched closely from people and leaders from around the world. People celebrated this victory on every continent. We should ALL be proud of our unity and excited about the changes and positive direction our country will take in these next years. Why can’t South Carolina awaken to the rest of the country and open its heart and mind?
Posted by: SEL, Summerville
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