theSun | WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5 2008 11

news without borders

Presidential hopefuls face

WASHINGTON: Democrat
Barack Obama and Republican
John McCain faced the verdict of
US voters yesterday after a long
and bitter struggle for the White
House, with Obama holding a

decisive edge in national opinion
polls.
At least 130 million
Americans are expected to
cast votes on a successor to
unpopular Republican President
George W. Bush and set the
country’s course for the next four president to begin a first term in
years on the economic crisis,
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
an overhaul of health care and
other issues.
The tiny New Hampshire
towns of Dixville
Notch and Hart’s
Location played
their traditional role
of hosting the first
election day voting
just after midnight
(1pm yesterday in
Malaysia).
Obama won a
majority of votes
in both places. He
gained 15 votes
to McCain’s six,
becoming the first
Democrat to win
there since Hubert
Humphrey in 1968.
Hours later, the “He’s in the far left may
rest of the United lane of American
States were to politics and he’s
follow, with first stuck there.”
results not expected
until 7pm eastern
time (8am today in Malaysia).
Obama, 47, a first-term
senator from Illinois, would
be the first black US president.
Opinion polls indicate he is
running ahead of McCain in
enough states to give him more
than the 270 electoral votes he
needs to win.
A victory for McCain, 72,
judgment of voters
would make him the oldest Obama told 90,000 supporters
at his final campaign rally in
the White House and make his Manassas, Virginia, a state who are trying to hold on
running mate Sarah Palin the Democrats have not won in a to the presidency for a third
first female US vice-president. presidential election since 1964 consecutive term. Democrats are
McCain, an Arizona senator, but where Obama leads. also expected to expand their
embraced his role as an McCain, whose campaign has majorities in both chambers of
underdog and attacked Obama as a socialist Congress.
says he is gaining and accused him of being a “pal” They need to gain nine Senate
ground on Obama. with terrorists, portrayed him as seats to reach a 60-seat majority
He was hitting a liberal who would raise taxes. that would give them the muscle
seven states on “He’s in the far left lane of to defeat Republican procedural
the last day of American politics and he’s hurdles.
campaigning as stuck there,” McCain said in That would increase pressure
he tried to pull off Blountville, Tennessee. on Democrats to deliver on
the biggest upset Opinion polls show Obama campaign promises to end the
in recent political ahead or even with McCain in at war in Iraq, eliminate Bush’s
history. least eight states won by Bush in tax cuts for the wealthy and
“The pundits 2004, including the big prizes of overhaul a health care system
have written us Ohio and Florida. Obama leads that leaves 47 million Americans
off like they have comfortably in all of the states uninsured.
before,” McCain won by Democrat John Kerry in Both presidential candidates
said in Roswell, 2004. planned more campaign stops.
New Mexico. “They Breakthrough victories in any Obama will vote at home in
Chicago and travel to Indiana
not know it,
but the Mac is back.
of those traditionally Republican
states – including Virginia, to help get out the vote. McCain
We’re gonna win Colorado, Indiana and North will visit Colorado and New
this election.” Carolina – would likely propel Mexico.
Both candidates Obama to the White House. Turnout could decide the
– McCain hammered home He took command of the race outcome, and both campaigns
their campaign in the last month as a deepening revved up multimillion-dollar
themes in the race’s final hours, economic crisis reinforced operations to identify supporters
with Obama accusing McCain his perceived strengths on the and get them to the voting booth.
of representing a third term economy, and in three debates But as many as one-third
for Bush’s policies and being where his steady performance of US voters have cast their
dangerously out of touch on the appeared to ease lingering ballots early. Obama aides
economy. doubts for some voters. were encouraged by reports of
“When it comes to the McCain, however, has heavy Democratic turnout in
economy, the truth is that John struggled to separate himself early voting in key states like
McCain has stood with President from Bush in a difficult political Colorado, North Carolina and
Bush every step of the way,” environment for Republicans, Florida. – Reuters

Tearful Obama lauds Hopes and prayers

grandmother as ‘quiet hero’
CHARLOTTE (North Carolina): Wiping away
tears, Obama (pix) lauded his late grandmother
on Monday as one of America’s “quiet heroes”
and delivered an impassioned vow to work for
all such heroes if elected to the White House.
Addressing thousands of supporters at
his second-to-last campaign rally here, the
presidential contender turned emotional as
he paid tribute to the woman who helped raise
him, following her death on Monday at the age
of 86.
Hours before the election showdown with
McCain, Obama said Madelyn Dunham had
passed away in her sleep after a long battle
with cancer at her Hawaii home, with his half-
sister Maya Soetoro-Ng by her side.
His voice thick with grief, Obama thanked
McCain for an “incredibly gracious” statement
of condolence.
“She is going home,” he said. “So there is
great joy as well as tears.”
Obama recapped his grandmother’s life
from her birth in 1922 and her marriage to
his grandfather, their struggles through the
Great Depression and with their daughter – his
mother – through World War II.
“She was somebody who was a very hum-
ble person and a very plain-spoken person,”
he said.
“She was one of those quiet heroes that we
have all across America. They’re not famous.
Their names aren’t in the newspapers,” Obama
said. – AFP
in Kenyan village
KISUMU (Kenya): Kenyans in Barack Obama’s
ancestral homeland prayed for victory yesterday
as he aimed to become the first African-American
president of the United States.
The western town of Kisumu, on the shores of
Lake Victoria, was in a frenzy of excitement as the
country’s favourite adopted son began the last leg
of his race for the White House.
The Democratic candidate’s late father hailed
from the rural region, and exuberant Kenyans
gave his Republican war hero rival John McCain
little hope of making a comeback after lagging for
weeks in the opinion polls.
“I don’t think McCain would have sold anything,”
said Kwamboka Okari, a woman selling Obama
buttons in Kisumu’s hot equatorial sun. “I don’t see
how McCain would come here.”
Police have tightened security as family, friends,
well-wishers and hordes of local and foreign jour-
nalists descend on Kogelo, the tiny village about
an hour northwest of Kisumu, where Obama’s 87-
year-old grandmother lives. Mass prayers for his
victory were planned there and if he wins, his family
plans to roast a bull in celebration. Since 2004 when
Obama was running for the Senate, he has enjoyed
rock star status in the African nation. – Reuters