By Mallory Hayes
After a long, demanding election season, the ballots have finally been tallied, and the United States of America has a new President-elect. Barack Obama secured victory by claiming 365 delegates over Sen. John McCain’s 173 delegates in the Electoral College. This decisive margin was achieved through the capture of virtually all of the battleground states, including several traditionally-conservative states such as Florida, Indiana, and Virginia.
At approximately 11:15 EST on the evening of November 4, Sen. John McCain addressed an enthusiastic crowd of supporters in Phoenix, Arizona. His concession speech began with the announcement that the senator had already called and offered his congratulations to Barack Obama for winning the election. Supporters’ reactions ranged from silence to angry booing, which was silenced by Senator McCain as he called for unity between the parties for a brighter future. McCain graciously thanked his running mate, Sarah Palin, as well as his family and supporters for a tough-fought campaign.
Minutes later, President-elect Obama gave his victory speech in Chicago, Illinois. The Obama camp had taken heat in the weeks leading up to the election for the extravagance of the $2 million event. No one could deny, however, that it was quite the spectacle. Obama appeared in front of an estimated crowd of 240,000, accompanied by his wife and two daughters. To his numerous supporters, Obama insisted, “This is your victory.”
While Democrats are relishing the taste of their first Presidential victory since 1996, the GOP is struggling to regain its bearings after disappointing finishes in both the Presidential and Congressional contests. Now that all is said and done, however, both parties must reconcile and move forward cooperatively in order to tackle the many challenges that face the nation—putting the country ahead of personal and party interests.
