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US elects Obama as

 its first black president

USA 2008 PRESIDENT ELECT BARACK OBAMA

Barack Obama swept to an historic victory as America's first black president, but pleaded for time to heal and transform the superpower as he faced up Wednesday to the task of forging his promised change.

"At this defining moment, change has come to America," Obama told 240,000 euphoric supporters, many in tears, at a rally late Tuesday after defeating Republican John McCain .

Obama, 47, will be inaugurated as the 44th US president on January 20, and inherit an economy mired in financial crisis, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and a nuclear showdown with Iran.

"Even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime, two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century," said Obama.

"The road ahead will be long, our climb will be steep, we may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there," Obama said in his home town of Chicago.

"I promise you -- we as a people will get there."

Senator Obama solidified traditional Democratic states and cut deep into the Republican territory which his rival needed to control to win the White House.

Democrats also made huge strides in Congress, boosting their majority in the Senate by five seats, with results still pending in four states, and by 20 seats in the lower House of Representatives.

Obama's win was greeted with euphoria across the United States and reverberated around the world .

New York's Times Square exploded in joy and a screaming crowd gathered outside the White House. In Kenya, where Obama's father was born, President Mwai Kibaki declared a national holiday.

Celebrations erupted from the bars of London and Sydney, with parties spilling onto the streets from Berlin to Havana and from Paris to the small Japanese town of Obama.

McCain, the 72-year-old Arizona senator, was gracious in defeat after a bitter protracted campaign, acknowledging that the election of his rival was a moment to cherish for African Americans.

"The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly," he said. "Though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours," he told a crowd of supporters in Phoenix in his home state of Arizona.

President George W. Bush who has been in control through eight turbulent years also congratulated Obama.

"What an awesome night for you, your family and your supporters. Laura and I called to congratulate you and your good bride," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino quoted the president as saying in a phone call to Obama.

Obama's inauguration will complete a stunning ascent to the pinnacle of US and global politics from national obscurity just four years ago.

Obama is promising to renew bruised ties with US allies, and to engage some of the United States' fiercest foes such as Iran and North Korea. He has vowed to tackle climate change and ensure health care for all Americans.

His presidency also marks a stunning social shift, with Obama -- the son of Kenyan father and white mother from Kansas -- the first African American president of a nation still riven by racial divides .

Forty-five years after civil rights icon Martin Luther King laid out his "dream" of racial equality, Obama's election broke new barriers and may have helped heal some of the moral wounds left by slavery and the US civil war.

When he launched his campaign on a chilly day in Illinois in February 2007, Obama forged a mantra of change which powered him through the longest, most costly US presidential campaign in history.

His success looked likely after he captured Pennsylvania, a key battleground which was McCain's best hope of winning a Democratic state and keeping his rival from the White House.

And in a sweet moment for Democrats, Obama also seized the key midwestern states of Ohio, Iowa and Indiana as well as the southwestern state of New Mexico, all states won by Bush in 2004.

He later added Ohio, the decisive state which swept Bush to victory in 2004 and another Republican state, Virginia, which had not voted Democrat since 1964. He also won Florida, scene of the 2000 recount debacle.

McCain had argued Obama was too inexperienced to be US commander in chief and would pursue "socialist" redistribution policies that would leave the economy mired in recession.

As of early Wednesday he had won 28 states, including the district of Columbia, for 349 electoral votes.

McCain had won 20 states but had not broken out of the Republican heartland and the south for 159 electoral votes.

In the Senate, Democrats wrested control of five Republican seats including in the traditionally Republican state of Virginia, followed by New Hampshire, North Carolina and New Mexico.

They reached a 56 seat majority in the 100-seat chamber but were unlikely to win the 60 seats they need for a filibuster-proff majority that would mean they could avoid Republican obstruction tactics.

Democrats also won 20 seats in the House of Representatives, solidifying their majority to 258 against 177 of the Republicans, according to data from NBC news.

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FROM THE BARS OF LONDON TO THE SMALL JAPANESE TOWN OF OBAMA,
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WIN ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED US PRESIDENTIAL RACES FOR DECADES. 

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 HOW ELECTION DAY UNFOLDED TAKE A LOOK AT HOW BARACK OBAMA BECAME THE 44TH US PRESIDENT.

USA 2008 DENTIAL CANDIDATES

 PROFILE: BARACK OBAMA WILL HE BE THE NEXT US PRESIDENT? READ HIS PROFILE AND SHARE YOUR VIEWS

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US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

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    WORLD TUNES IN TO SEE OBAMA WIN HISTORIC US ELECTIONAFP -

FROM THE BARS OF LONDON TO THE SMALL JAPANESE TOWN OF OBAMA, IT SEEMED LIKE THE WHOLE WORLD TUNED IN WEDNESDAY TO SEE BARACK OBAMA WIN ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED US PRESIDENTIAL RACES FOR DECADES. 

CANDIDATE

 PROFILE: BARACK OBAMA WILL HE BE THE NEXT US PRESIDENT? READ HIS PROFILE AND SHARE YOUR VIEWS.

GALLERY

ELECTION IMAGE GALLERY TAKE A LOOK AT OUR IMAGE GALLERY OF REACTIONS TO OBAMA'S VICTORY

HOW ELECTION DAY UNFOLDED TAKE A LOOK AT HOW BARACK OBAMA BECAME THE 44TH US PRESIDENT.

USA 2008 DENTIAL CANDIDATES

 PROFILE: BARACK OBAMA WILL HE BE THE NEXT US PRESIDENT? READ HIS PROFILE AND SHARE YOUR VIEWS

 PROFILE: JOHN MCCAIN WILL HIS EXPERIENCE PROVE VITAL? READ HIS PROFILE AND SHARE YOUR VIEWS.

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OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT

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 HOW ELECTION DAY UNFOLDED TAKE A LOOK AT HOW BARACK OBAMA BECAME THE 44TH US PRESIDENT.

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OBAMA ELECTED 44TH US PRESIDENTITN 

MCCAIN CONGRATULATES OBAMA ON VICTORYREUTERS

OBAMA BEATS MCCAIN IN FLORIDA PRESIDENTIAL VOTINGREUTERS 

BLACK AMERICANS CELEBRATE OBAMA EXIT POLL LEADREUTERS 

OBAMA VICTORY SIGNALS SHIFT IN U.S. RACE RELATIONSREUTERS

OBAMA WINS US ELECTION, TO BECOME FIRST BLACK PRESIDENTAFP

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• JOHN MCCAIN’S CONCESSION SPEECH
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• MCCAIN WARMLY CONGRATULATES OBAMA
• YOUNG CHINESE CHEER OBAMA’S VICTORY
• HOUSE REPUBLICANS PICK UP TWO DEMOCRATIC-HELD SEATS

BARACK OBAMA

JOHN MCCAIN

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BROWNS SENDS CONGRATULATIONS TO OBAMA ITN 
US EXILES WATCH DRAMA UNFOLD ITN 
OBAMA CAPTURES HISTORIC WIN REUTERS \
U.S. SENATE RACES GOING DEMOCRATS' WAY REUTERS  
BLACK AMERICANS CELEBRATE OBAMA'S VICTORY REUTERS  

Obama: 'I Will Change The World'

Obama: 'Change Has Come To US'

"It's been a long time coming. But tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America," Mr Obama told 100,000 supporters, as he took his victory bow with his family.

"A new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear the world down, we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security, we support you."

Sky's Michelle Clifford, at the election party in downtown Chicago, said: "It really does feel like the whole of Chicago is cheering... you really do feel like you're taking part in history."

Mr Obama's hometown has embraced his landmark victory as a dream finally come true.

"Today I am proud to be a black American... This is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful day," Obama supporter Rosemary Morris said.

But at the McCain camp in Arizona, Sky's Robert Nisbet said there are "many sad faces among the Republican faithful".

In a gracious concession speech, Mr McCain said his camp had "fought as hard as we could and though we fell short the failure is mine not yours".

The crowd responded with chants of "John McCain" and "You're not done".

Mr McCain went on: "I urge all Americans who supported me to come together and bridge our differences to restore our prosperity, defend security and leave our children and grandchildren a better world than ours."

The writing was on the wall for Mr McCain after Mr Obama clinched the key states of California, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Mr Obama led his rival by 338 votes to 141 as he passed the magic number of 270 needed to win the presidency.

The two senators campaigned right up to Election Day, as a record number of American citizens from all 50 states cast their ballots.

Mr Obama also captured Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Washington DC and Illinois.

Mr Obama, 47, son of a Kenyan and white mother from Kansas, will be sworn in as the 44th US President on January 20 next year when he takes over from President George Bush.

He will face a series of challenges over the next four years, including the economic crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an overhaul of the US health care system.

From the White House, Mr Bush made personal phone calls to Mr Obama and Mr McCain soon after the result.

To Mr Obama, he said: "Mr President-elect, congratulations to you. What an awesome night for you, your family and your supporters. 

"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."

To Senator McCain, he said: "John, you gave it your all. I'm proud of you, and I'm sorry it didn't work out. You didn't leave anything on the playing field."

Meanwhile, the Democrats have regained control of the Senate - an important step towards their goal of a so-called "super majority" in the three branches of the US government.

Editor's note: Fareed Zakaria is a foreign affairs analyst who hosts
"Fareed Zakaria: GPS" on CNN at 1 p.m. ET Sundays.

The story

In his victory over John McCain in the U.S. presidential election Tuesday, Barack Obama snared about 65 million votes to McCain's 57 million.

According to exit polls, Obama crushed McCain among women voters (56 percent to 43 percent); voters under 30 (66 percent to 32 percent); African-American voters (95 percent to 4 percent); Latino voters (66 percent to 32 percent); first-time voters (68 percent to 31 percent); and voters making less than $100,000 a year (55 percent to 43 percent).

"I think this is the passing of an old order," CNN senior political analyst David Gergen said as the results rolled in Tuesday night and the outcome became increasingly evident.

"I think what we see ... is a new coalition, a new order emerging. It isn't quite there, but with Barack Obama, for the first time, it's won. It is the Latino vote, it is the bigger black vote that came out. Very importantly, it's the youth vote, the 18- to 29-year-old," said the Harvard University professor and former presidential adviser.

CNN spoke to world affairs expert and author Fareed Zakaria about the Obama victory.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- In his victory over John McCain in the U.S. presidential election Tuesday, Barack Obama snared about 65 million votes to McCain's 57 million.

According to exit polls, Obama crushed McCain among women voters (56 percent to 43 percent); voters under 30 (66 percent to 32 percent); African-American voters (95 percent to 4 percent); Latino voters (66 percent to 32 percent); first-time voters (68 percent to 31 percent); and voters making less than $100,000 a year (55 percent to 43 percent).

"I think this is the passing of an old order," CNN senior political analyst David Gergen said as the results rolled in Tuesday night and the outcome became increasingly evident.

"I think what we see ... is a new coalition, a new order emerging. It isn't quite there, but with Barack Obama, for the first time, it's won. It is the Latino vote, it is the bigger black vote that came out. Very importantly, it's the youth vote, the 18- to 29-year-old," said the Harvard University professor and former presidential adviser.

CNN spoke to world affairs expert and author Fareed Zakaria about the Obama victory.

CNN: Was this a transformative election?

Zakaria: Many people have been discussing it from a racial perspective and although that is true, I think it is larger than that.

I think President-elect Obama has the chance to realign the political landscape and to create a governing ideology for the West.

CNN: Doesn't that seem like a grand ambition?

Zakaria: It is not only ambition, but a result of the times. Conservatives have dominated Western politics for the last three decades because they proposed solutions to the problems of the 1970s -- slow growth, social unrest, and Soviet adventurism. But those solutions don't work anymore.

They don't address the problems of today -- an out-of-control financial system, rising inequality, unaffordable health care, poor infrastructure, a broken energy policy.

CNN: Isn't what you're describing then a return to the left?

Zakaria: Not really, the world has moved on from the 1960s. Few believe that the government should own the commanding heights of the economy, that central planners should allocate resources and that protectionism will save jobs in the long run. Look at the left in power, from Britain to Australia, and you see pro-market, pro-trade policies aimed at promoting growth.

The difference is that they also encourage government efforts in certain areas where the private sector isn't sufficient.

CNN: But there is still an American distrust of government -- which is why Americans have moved to the right. What are your thoughts on that?

Zakaria: I think the greatest problem most Americans have with Washington is they see their government as predatory and corrupt.

They look at the tax code and worry less that it "spreads the wealth" than that it institutionalizes corruption through loopholes and special deals.

True reform will mean attacking predatory policies and corruption, from the left and the right.

President-elect Obama must recast the traditional divide in American politics. Rather than the usual left-right split over the size and role of government, make it a bipartisan effort to combat corruption.

CNN: What president do you see President-elect Obama emulating?

Zakaria: In the early 1930s, economic and political realities also suggested that the United States was poised for a new era. But such an era happened and took the particular shape it did only because of the skill and ambition of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

If he truly wants to mold the future, Obama will have to demonstrate similar leadership. However, I do believe he has the ability and the challenges to be another FDR.

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