Obama Redraws Divide between Red and Blue States

Not only did Barack Obama win the Electoral College votes, he also won the popular vote and restructured the divide between red and blue states. According to totals early Wednesday, Obama got about 63 million votes to McCain's 55.8 million. And according to exit polls, Obama prevailed over McCain among women voters, 56% to 43%, voters under 30 by 66% to 32%, African-American voters by 95% to 4%, Latino voters with 66% to 32%, first-time voters with 68% to 31% and voters making less than $100,000 a year with 55% to 43%.

While early voting totals predicted McCain taking most of the Southeast and Obama most of the Northeast, things took a turn Tuesday night with Obama wining Pennsylvania and then Ohio, states McCain needed to win presidency. Obama even went on to win Virginia, a state that had not voted for Democratic president since 1964. As polls started closing across the country, Obama kept winning more states, including Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada, all states that had gone to President Bush in 2004. And Wednesday morning, Obama added to the list of states he'd turned from red to blue: Indiana, a state that had not voted for a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. This gave Obama the lead in electoral votes of 349-163 over his rival McCain, with only 26 undecided.

Senator John McCain called Obama to congratulate him on his win and told Obama he is looking forward to working with him. Obama will be working with more Democrats in Congress as well, with Senate seats in New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia and others. But Obama pledged to work with all despite party alignment and to listen to the 46% of voters who chose McCain. During his speech in Grant Park in Chicago Tuesday night he stated "To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn -- I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too."

Tuesday marked the end of the longest presidential campaign season in U.S. history of 21 months. Obama, 47, is the first African American to become President. He will now begin his transition to the White House and be sworn in as the 44th president on January 20, 2009.