WASHINGTON, 4 Nov 2008: Barack Obama won the US presidential election, beating John McCain in a landslide victory to become the 44th President of the US.
Obama made history as the first black president in a long-fought battle of almost two years.
It was a bitter sweet moment for Obama, whose grandmother, described as the rock in his life, died early Monday (3 Nov) in her hometown of Hawaii.
At press time, Obama secured 338 electoral votes compared with McCain’s 156. A candidate need only 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
The president-elect is expected to give his victory speech at midnight to a throng of crowd in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois.
The 47-year-old Obama and his running mate, Sen Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice-president on 20 Jan 2009.
Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country facing economic challenges and fighting wars on two fronts — one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan. — Bernama
