Charly Ndi Chia
7 November 2008
Usa — The doors to America's seat of power, the White House, were flung wide open to receive its first ever black tenant Tuesday night.Senator Barack Obama, Democratic Party Presidential candidate qualified to head this greatest nation of the world for the next four years by beating his Republican Party rival John McCain.
He will become America's 44th President.Campaigns leading up to this historic day had been grim, dodgy and at times aggressive. They lasted 21 months.Tears of joy ran freely from both black and white cheeks, following the declaration that Obama had clinched victory.
This went to support claims by some Democratic Party stalwarts that the vote was largely colourless even though 96 percent of black votes were cast for Obama.The defeat was quick and sound, defying predictions that the "close to call" snag that bedevilled the 2000 election, by which outgoing President George Bush was ushered into office could once more rear its ugly head.
On the contrary, Obama's victory was also facilitated by Americans' loss of faith in Bush's leadership.A war of attrition in Iraq, seen by nationals as senseless and a big burden to the tax payer; a bed-ridden economy that promises to get worse before it gets better, greatly contributed to keep McCain from securing the world's most coveted job.
In fact, McCain inadvertently took one blow too many; blows that were aimed at a largely discredited George Bush, when the war veteran declared earlier in his campaign that he went along with the outgoing President, voting 95 percent with him in the decisions that he took. Unfortunately, most of those decisions never went down well with the American people.
Dropping Campaign Battles For Nation Building
The results had hardly been proclaimed than both Obama and his defeated rival McCain acknowledged each other's patriotism and pledged to work as one for their nation. Having congratulated Obama by telephone, McCain addressed a crowd of his supporters in Phoenix, Arizona, and urged Americans to join him in supporting his rival's tenure at the Presidency.
He said he was commending Obama for his victory, adding that he had no real regrets for not making it to the White House.And Obama, the President-elect..."I received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign and he's fought even harder and longer for the country he loves."
"He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved and look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead," Obama promised.
Democratic Party adherents and other Obama supporters stayed up all night, nationwide, celebrating a rare kind of victory in America 's electoral history.
Charly Ndi Chia, Editor-in-Chief of The Post, is an International Journalists Centre Fellow covering the American Presidential Election for the News & Observer, North Carolina
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