●America's choice: Barack Obama_自考专本|专升本|高升专|高升本|在职研究生-学历教育网

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Carried by overwhelming worry about the economy, the Democratic nominee claimed Michigan's 17 electoral votes by what appeared to be a margin of historic proportions on the way to election as the nation's first African-American president. It marks the fifth consecutive presidential election in which Democrats have carried Michigan, though none by such a large margin. With nearly all of the precincts reporting in, Obama had 57 percent of the vote to McCain's 41 percent.

'We've come from slavery to being bus drivers, and mayors, and senators -- to now becoming a president,' said Franklin McCullers, 52, an African-American and lifelong Detroiter.

Across the electoral map, Obama won significant victories in traditional Democratic states and cut deeply into Republican territory, capturing Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada -- all states won four years ago by President Bush.

In Michigan and elsewhere, Obama was leading a wave of Democratic victories fueled by dissatisfaction with President Bush and the GOP and crushing worry about the economy. Democrats added to their congressional majorities, and in Michigan, veteran Republican Rep. Joe Knollenberg of Bloomfield Hills fell to challenger Gary Peters. A second GOP-held seat, that of Rep. Tim Walberg of Tipton, was in doubt. And state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cliff Taylor, a GOP nominee, lost to Democrat Diane Hathaway.

'It's a pretty strong anti-Republican tsunami across the country. It hit Michigan pretty hard,' said state Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis.

A Michigan exit poll survey by Tim Kiska and Associates for The Detroit News, WXYZ Action News, WWJ and other Michigan broadcasters, showed broad support for Obama across geographic and demographic lines.

Overwhelmingly, economic worries were at the top of Michigan voters' agenda. About two-thirds of voters in the exit poll listed it as their top priority. Obama won those voters by roughly 3 to 1. Obama has pledged to come to the aid of the domestic auto industry.

And there was the draw of Obama's historic candidacy as the first African-American nominee of a major party.

Martell Travis, 26, of Southfield waited for nearly two hours Tuesday morning to cast his ballot in Southfield. 'But that's OK because it's a very historic election,' he said. 'I never thought I'd see a black man have a shot at becoming president. I just didn't see this one coming.'

Karynne Naftolin, 37, also of Southfield, voted for McCain. 'I'm proud that this country is running a black man for president and I like Obama,' she said. 'I just wish he was a Republican.'

Get-out-vote efforts

While pre-election polls suggested Obama had a clear lead, both campaigns urged voters to take nothing for granted. In Michigan, where Obama left a substantial field operation in place even after McCain's early October withdrawal from the state, Obama volunteers had hoped to knock on the doors of 1 million Michigan supporters Tuesday to encourage them to vote.

Ultimately, political observers may view the McCain campaign's decision on Oct. 2 to pull its money and staff from Michigan as a turning point in the campaign nationally, said Craig Ruff, a political analyst with Public Sector Consultants in Lansing.

'It sent a signal that Minnesota and Wisconsin were toast, that he would have a real battle on his hands to win Ohio,' Ruff said. 'Other manufacturing-based states could take the hint that McCain was not going to do well there.'

Republicans also blamed the decision for deepening their challenges up and down the ballot.

There were numerous, though anecdotal, reports of massive turnout in Michigan and across the country, reports fed in part by record turnout at the states that allow early voting before Election Day.

Even before the votes were counted, though, thoughts turned to the enormous economic challenges facing Michigan and the nation.

'The last eight years we have seen an administration that has dug a huge hole for the people of this country,' said Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

'We stopped digging'

'Today, we stopped digging. Now we have to dig our way out of it. It will take time, but what we have is somebody who understands strategically what it's going to take for us to get out of that hole.'

Tuesday closed the longest, most expensive presidential election in history -- marked by many twists and turns, from Obama's precedent-setting win the Iowa caucuses in the first week of January to protracted and sometimes tortured path of Michigan's disputed Democratic primary.

For Obama, Michigan had loomed as a potential trouble spot. In May of 2007, early in his candidacy, Obama had delivered a speech at the Detroit Economic Club taking Michigan's domestic carmakers to task for failing to build more fuel-efficient cars. Though he also offered incentives for the companies to change their ways, some Michigan Democrats expressed concern -- especially when Obama reprised lines from that speech on the campaign trail and in his primary campaign ads.

Successes weren't enough

McCain, meanwhile, had a history of success here. He won the state's 2000 GOP primary, and was competitive this year even against Michigan native Mitt Romney. The McCain campaign expressed hope his compelling story and history of reaching out to moderate 'Reagan Democrat' voters would make Michigan a prime target, despite a 16-year history of Democratic success.
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