"The new dawn of American leadership is at hand."
On Nov. 4, 2008, as Barack Obama accepted the presidency of the United States, he told the world that change has come to America. In the most historic election of our generation, Obama became the first black, as well as the youngest, president-elect.
Obama's election completed a full shift of power in the House and Senate, giving Democrats full control of both legislative and executive branches for the first time since 1994.
In what Arizona Sen. John McCain called "the most challenging campaign in modern times," he could not escape the shadow of the Bush administration and the Republican image. McCain failed to maintain control of traditionally "red" states, including highly contested Ohio and Florida. In a key step to victory, Obama took control of seven formerly Republican states that brought in 86 electoral votes.
Colorado and Virginia, two states that were reclaimed by the Democrats, had a 44-year Republican voting streak.
This truly was an election for change. The election was more than just political parties and campaign platforms. The winner of the election would inherit two wars abroad and the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression.
It all started with Ohio.
Leading up to Election Day, all eyes were on Ohio, one of seven battleground states, as both Obama and McCain fought fiercely for its 20 electoral votes. Obama eventually edged out McCain by only three percentage points.
Historically blue Pennsylvania, and its 21 electoral votes, was another "must win" for both candidates in their race to the necessary 270. Obama claimed Pennsylvania with 55 percent of the total vote, delivering a major blow to McCain.
"McCain had hopes of flipping Pennsylvania," said John McAdams, associate professor of political science. "McCain's failure to win Pennsylvania and Ohio indicated it was over."
Some argued that for McCain, the race to the White House would be a difficult battle.
"Being a Republican in this climate meant you were facing an uphill battle," said Julia Azari, assistant professor of political science. "Attributing the failure of this election to the McCain campaign is not entirely fair."
But McCain did keep it closer than some expected. McAdams said the election "wasn't a blowout."
Kirsten Kukowski, communications director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, stressed the impact of the economic crisis.
"The economy had a lot to do with the outcome," Kukowski said. "America is facing a tough economic time. We are hoping America can hope together, and hoping that Obama can lead us in a new direction."
McAdams also stressed the importance and key role of the economic crisis.
"The stock market crash really, really hurt McCain," he said. "He also made the tactical error of suspending his campaign (to deal with the crisis)."
Obama's platform of change, fresh take on Washington politics and carefully constructed campaign helped him to victory on Election Day.
The Road to Election Day
Obama's road to the White House began in Springfield, Ill., on the steps of the State Capitol, where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous "A House Divided" speech in 1858.
Nearly 150 years after Lincoln's speech, on that symbolic site, Obama officially announced his candidacy for president of the United States.
Obama's message of change started early. After serving as community organizer on Chicago's South Side, he attended Harvard Law School, where he earned his law degree and became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.
Obama was elected to the Illinois state senate in 1996, where he spent eight years. On a national scale, Obama's visibility exploded during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He gave a stirring keynote speech, in which he sought to break down party lines and unify the nation.
His appearance and performance at the DNC ignited speculation of where Obama fit in the Democratic Party, including the possibility of a future presidential run.
McCain's bid for president began eight years ago.
In 2000, McCain was the top challenger against the eventual Republican nominee and current president George W. Bush. Prior to his campaign against Bush, McCain had served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives starting in 1982 and been Arizona senator since 1986. But despite a history of successful campaigns, McCain carried only seven states and lost the 2000 Republican primary.
After the loss, McCain returned to the U.S. Senate, where he worked with Democratic Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold on the McCain-Feingold Act, a bipartisan bill that worked on campaign finance reform and fought to increase the role of soft money. McCain also supported Bush in his bid for re-election in 2004.
With current Vice President Dick Cheney not seeking election, the Republican race was up for grabs and on April 25, 2007, McCain officially announced his second bid for president.
McCain entered a race against 11 other candidates, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The Republican field was eventually narrowed to three main candidates — McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
In the first half of 2007, campaign finance issues plagued McCain. At the same time, both his campaign manager and chief strategist quit his campaign. As a result, McCain found himself coming in last in early polls. But resurgence came in the second half of 2007 and McCain became a forerunner for the party nomination.
As 2008 rolled in, so did caucus season. Huckabee, the most traditionally conservative of the three, swept the Jan. 3 caucus in Iowa, with Romney claiming second and McCain tying Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson for third place with just 13 percent of the vote.
On Super Tuesday, after almost a month of continuously rising poll success, McCain claimed 60 percent of the necessary delegates needed to secure a nomination. A week later, as his competition fizzled, Romney announced his resignation from the campaign. Huckabee held on for another month but, after losing the remaining primaries on March 4, conceded victory to McCain.
As the Republican Party secured its nominee, it watched the Democrats fight for a decisive winner for another three months.
Obama's possibility of a run for president came to fruition in 2007, when he emerged as one of frontrunners for the Democratic nomination, along with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.
As the primaries got underway, some voters struggled to adjust to the idea of a black man as president. But when Obama won the Iowa Caucus, voters started to believe that perhaps the junior senator from Illinois really could win the election.
But Obama's campaign wasn't without its rough spots. In mid-March, video of Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, surfaced, in which the pastor radically criticized the United States. Obama underwent heavy scrutiny after the video was spread via the Internet and cable news programs.
Following a hard-fought, contentious and sometimes bitter campaign, Obama's message of change trumped Clinton's experience. Clinton ceded the nomination June 7 and the battle we've been watching for the last five months officially began.
Enter the running mates
With only eight weeks until Election Day, both Obama and McCain finalized their ticket with strikingly different picks.
Obama selected Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential candidate on Aug. 23, giving assurance to those skeptical of Obama's experience and foreign relations capabilities.
In late August, in an attempt to pick up female and conservative voters, McCain made a gutsy move, finalizing his ticket by choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Initially, Palin was not thought to be on McCain's short list of candidates, which some predicted included former opponent Romney.
"Palin was initially selected to attract former Clinton and young voters but it didn't seem like she did that," Azari said. "The choice was considered hasty and that she was someone he chose without careful vetting. It questioned his decision-making process."
Kukowski disagreed, citing excitement about Palin in the Republican Party.
"She is now a leader in the Republican Party," she said. "I think we'll be seeing her around again."
McCain graciously bowed out of the race as he thanked his supporters, praised his opponent and vowed to continue to serve his country.
"The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly," McCain said.
"These are difficult times for this country. I will do all in my power to help Obama lead."