please login to something to say on the subject

Witness to history, Paul Elgood reports Obama's victory

A blog from America

Paul Elgood

Sunday, 2 November 2008

It seems as if the whole world has come to Chicago. Planes full of the world's press descended on the city and were met by perhaps half a million party-goers celebrating the election.

Barack Obama voted at dawn, having finished a final whirlwind tour of key states. He voted early to make the point to his supporters to vote as early as possible and then help to get the vote out He started polling day in
Chicago, preparing for the evening of his life, but he nipped into the key swing state of Indiana just to make sure. He also played basketball, a tradition, they say, for Obama on election day.

Chicago literally has come to a halt, with gigantic crowds heading to Grant Park on Chicago's lakefront. A huge stage (which most couldn't even get close to), massive screens and a press village the size of a small town was
put up in just a week. Chicago wants to show off, not just it’s new President-elect but also as a candidate city for the 2016 Olympics. But this is an epic city on grand proportions not seen in the UK and so its vast parks and urban spaces could take the huge numbers.

As polling day dawned it became increasingly likely that Obama would win and probably win well. He has style, grace and most importantly wasn't a Republican. McCain, to be fair, was a strong candidate but offered too little and too late and unable to compete with Obama whilst his VP choice Sarah Palin seemed to set off in a direction all of her own. But let's be honest, one issue truly decided this race, the economy. What are the late
night comedy shows going to do without her?

The victory rally was overwhelming in size. Warm weather has drawn the crowds with press from hundreds and hundreds of media organisations. Obama's friends and core supporters are the only ones to get close. Others are to the far side with bullet proof glass between Obama and the front of the crowd. Everyone else watches on huge screens, and probably get a better view! But they were still there to see history made.

So its history in the making. The Democrats take back the White House after the Bush years (Monday night saw 'Goodbye to Bush' parties). And the first black American wins a Presidential Election, in an election not dominated by race and only four decades after the Civil Rights Act.