President Obama says ''Yes We Can..."

Great acceptance speech from President Elect Barack Obama after his landslide win evoking memories of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" oration.

I found it interesting that Obama used the story of a 106-year-old woman who voted in this election amd questioned what might be possible in the next 106 years...

Here in Miami on Sunday, among the lines in the pouring rain waiting to vote was a 102-year-old woman determined to vote for the first time.

Seniors for Obama!

The election results in Florida were wafer-close for several hours but the State was finally called for Obama.

I was privileged to be invited to the Obama Victory Party in Miami Beach to watch the results come in - and celebrate. The atmosphere was electric and highly emotional, with activists screaming with delight as updates from each state were reporterd - results augmented by frequent announcements from the stage by enthusiatic local campaigners about Florida victory followed by Florida victory.

Miami polls closed at 7pm - three hours earlier than in British General Elections - and it was clear early on that this was indeed going to be the historic night on a scale I never dream possible: yes, bigger even than John Fitzgerald Kennedy's win almost half a century ago, and bigger than the more recent Clinton push.

Astonishing that John McCain knew he had lost early and made his speech accepting defeat by 11.30pm.

It was a gracious loser's speech offering congratulations to President Obama, which attracted polite applause as the footage was relayed live to massive screens on either side of the stars and stripes backdrop to a partisan Democrat audience in Miami.

President Obama was able to start his acceptance speech before midnight - almost, if not entirely without precedent.

He paid tribute to the service to country by his opponent, who was tortured as a prisoner in the Vietnam War.

The Obama effect has rocked America and created a movement, rather than simply winning an election.

Expectations and hope for improvements are massive.

So. After the most costly, lengthy, most gruelling campaign which tested the candidates to the limit, America has chosen it's Leader.

Tomorrow the real work starts.

Live from the White House...

Quick blog from the White House...No, not the one in Washington, but Sky TV's US Election set in Miami, where a few colleagues are doing a quick interview.

Very grand on the waterfront, and a huge contrast from the deprivation of just a few blocks away from the skyscrapers and the glamour of Miami Beach.

I've knocked a lot of doors over the years, but never seen poverty like I saw this morning in an African-American area called Overtown, Miami.

Tiny one room dark apartments of the like I've never seen anywhere in Britain.

Quite shocking.

In Britain, we take the NHS for granted. The people I met this morning have no health care - which is why Barack Obama wants health care for all Americans - a plan opposed by the Republicans who try to use the policy to demonstrated that Obama is really a 'socialist'!!

Sunday, on the last day of early voting, we watched people wait patiently in line and in torrential rain for eight hours in Liberty City, Miami, and helped hand out water and cookies.

What was amazing was that they stood in line for eight hours, determined to exercise their democratic right.

While it was good to see the huge turnout, voting in a democracy should surely not be made so difficult.

Only a few hours before we know whether it will be McCain or Obama in the White House...

Whoever wins, there is a huge expectation of delivery.

More later hopefully...

From Glenrothes to Miami...

Sorry it's been too quiet here. Been busy up in Scotland having a look at the Glenrothes by election, but couldn't resist getting over to America to soak up the the last 72 hours in the race for the most powerful office on earth...

At the start of the Glenrothes campaign, the bookies were offering 1-4 against a Labour win, but with the shine coming off the SNP and Gordon Brown bouncing back over his handling of the world economic crisis, Labour are fighting hard for every vote.

With only five days of campaigning in Fife left, I feel the gap closing fast - Labour's candidate Lindsay Roy is a solid, well respected local head teacher, not a failed politician.

Meanwhile, the SNP have shown arrogance in selecting the Leader of Fife Council as their candidate - after he personally pushed through a pacakage of cuts and increases to home care charges from four pounds a week to eleven pounds an hour.

In addition, the SNP's nonsense about an independent Scotland joining a non existent so-called 'Arc of Prosperity' has been exposed as nonsense following the meltdown of the Icelandic economy - and the bailout of the Royal Bank of Scotland and Halifax Bank of Scotland by the UK Government, proving that the UK is stronger together and would be weaker apart.

Glenrothes really could go down to the wire.

Over here in the States, it looks just possible that Barack Obama could win big and become the first black President - just been watched TV coverage of Republican John McCain's rallying call in Virginia, and it has to be said, he looks his age, and very tired. His last roll of the dice seems to be a direct attempt to label Obama 'socialist'and 'hard left'.

Desperate times.

Eight years ago, I went to the swing state of Ohio and saw the Democrats fail to win, four years ago I managed to get to Philadelphia, only to see George Dubya re-elected.

This time, I'm in the sunshine state of Miami, hoping to see history made on Tuesday with a win for Barack Obama.

Will keep you posted...

Is Alaskan Senator's conviction the final nail for McCain's campaign...?

Longest serving US Senator - a Republican - faces prison after being found guilty of corruption.

To make matters worse for McCain, convicted Ted Stevens, 84, is from the great state of Alaska, home of 'hockey mom' and McCain's running mate Sarah Palin...

Earlier today, the biggest paper in Alaska endorsed Obama, saying Palin was a novice and it was unthinkable that their own state Governor could become a heart-beat away from becoming President.

It ain't over til it's over, and a week's a long time in politics. But can anything now stop Barack Obama becoming the first black President of the most powerful nation on earth...?

I hope not.

Republican tells us why Obama should win...

Heard the best reason this morning why Americans should vote Obama for President - from a hard-line conservative.

Iowa Republican Steve King was ranting on Radio 4's Today programme why he would never vote for the economic rescue package currently before politicians on Capitol Hill, suggesting that it would bring socialism to America through the back door.

Bizarre enough. But then he switched his fire to blast Barack Obama again - King hit the headlines earlier this year by disgracefully claiming that radical Islamists would declare victory in the war on terror and dance in the streets if Obama was elected to the White House...

This time it was Obama's brand of socialism for health care that was in King's sights...

King had this warning:

"He (Obama) wants everyone in America to have a health insurance plan..."

Bring it on Barack!

Quote of the Day...

If...you were putting your country first, would you put an untested small-town mayor a heartbeat from the presidency?

No, not an envious Democrat in the Barack Obama camp, but no less than David Frum, former speech writer to President George Dubya Bush, commenting on John McCain's surprise choice as running mate for the White House (from today's Sunday Times).

As the less-than-impressed Frum and other senior Republicans have pointed out, having an relative unknown as VP candidate rather undermines the Republican's own campaign slogan: ‘Country First’.

Few outside Alaska knew Sarah Palin before McCain unveiled her on Friday - including it seems Mr McCain himself!

McCain reportedly met the former beauty queen just once before choosing her as his candidate for Vice-President, in what is arguably the most important judgement call he has ever made.

Whether Sarah proves to be an inspired choice or a costly mistake will be a matter for the voters in November.

But, if 72-year-old McCain becomes President and dies in office, it would be Sarah Palin who would take over the most powerful office on earth and become Commander-in-Chief of US Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it would be Sarah's finger on the nuclear button.

Is that why they call America the land of opportunity...?

more later...if we're still here!

Obama clinches it as Clinton pulls one more surprise...

As the gruelling five-month Democratic nomination race appears to be finally over with Barack Obama expected to clinch victory, beaten Hillary Clinton pulled one more surprise - by winning the South Dakota primary against predictions.

Despite her win, Barack Obama is thought likely to pick up enough delegates in Montana and South Dakota as well as so-called super-delegates to allow him to claim victory.

She appeared to accept the inevitable, praising 'her friend' Barack Obama and what he has achieved in his remarkable campaign.

But she also refused to concede defeat, telling her screaming New Yorkers that she would "make no decisions tonight".

Earlier, Republican nominee John McCain, clearly seeing who he will be facing in the Election in November, praised 'his friend' Hillary Clinton and said she had not received the recognition she deserved.

As Barack Obama has made 'change' his winning mantra, McCain attacked him as 'the wrong change' and claimed he, McCain, was 'the right change'.

He also attempted to distance himself from Bush and likely Obama attacks that a vote for McCain will be for a disastrous third term of Bush...

Less than a year ago, few people has even heard of Barack Obama: Hillary Clinton was a shoe-in to win the Democratic nomination and unstoppable as the first woman President of the United States.

At the same time, John McCain's chances had been written off as unlikely winner of even the Republican nomination.

If a week's a long time in politics, a year is a lifetime...

UPDATE: Barack Obama: '...I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States...'

Obama makes it 12 states in a row...but Clinton wins RI

Looks like Barack Obama is about to claim his 12th victory in a row by beating Hillary Clinton for the Democrat primary in tiny Vermont tonight...

But it's still too close to call in both the crucial big states of Ohio and Texas, where there are also primaries tonight.

Hillary was expected to do well in the rust-belt depressed areas of Ohio - like Youngstown where I worked briefly in Al Gore's campaign eight years ago!

(Remember Al: he used to be the man who was the next President...!)

Despite Barack's victory in Vermont, I suspect Hillary will do enough to hang on.

But if she loses both Ohio and Texas, I hope she listens to her husband Bill.

He's said if she loses both, it's all over for her.

We've seen enough of Democrats tearing lumps out of each other and if it's not settled soon, the only winner will be John McCain, who sealed the Republican nomination in Vermont tonight...

UPDATE: Hillary has won Rhode Island, the fourth state choosing it's favoured Democrat candidate tonight, ending Barack Obama's month long run of wins...still too close to call in the big states of Ohio and Texas.

UPDATED: Obama wins 3 more states as Clinton's deputy campaign manager quits

Looks like Barack Obama is having another good night at the office. CNN say he's winning the primary in the crucial state of Virginia by something like 60-40 over Hillary Clinton.

If he also wins Washington DC and Maryland tonight, it could be very difficult for Hillary to come back: But before tonight's polls were even closed, she was in El Paso, Texas for a big rally ahead of the biggest night of primaries still to come on March 4th when Ohio and Texas choose their nominee. For good measure, Hillary is reported to have done satellite TV interviews today with ten separate TV channels in Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin where the primary takes place next Tuesday.

Barack Obama will hope to also do well next Tuesday in Hawaii - the State where Barack grew up.

Worrying news from Virginia tonight for Hillary: At the start of the campaign for the Democrat nomination, she had the support of many black Americans. But husband Bill's attacks on Barack Obama seem to have backfired. In Virginia, CNN says the black contender picked up 90-per-cent of the black vote, easily his biggest proportion in any state so far.

Even worse for Hillary, he appears to have outvoted her among women - said to be Hillary's backbone of support.

UPDATE: Barack is now ahead not only in states won, but more importantly in terms of number of delegates. He has 1,170 delegates, she has 1,168...it could hardly be closer, but for now, Barack has the magic momentum...

UPDATE 2: Clinton's deputy campaign manager quit tonight says CNN who precict Maryland and Washington DC comfortably for Obama. In DC, he's winning by a massive 3-1 margin...

This time can be different

Just play it.

Obama wins Maine for five in a row, as Clinton's campaign manager steps down...

CNN predict Barack Obama will win the Democratic caucus in Maine - giving him a clean sweep of all five contests over the weekend and putting him almost neck-and-neck with Hillary Clinton for the nomination.

Hillary is a narrowly ahead in numbers of delegates secured with 1,148 over Barack's 1,121. But he has won more states, and he clearly has the all-important momentum going into crucial contests tomorrow (Tuesday).

Hillary is reported to have lent her campaign $5 million last week and after her showing on the weekend she has 'replaced' her campaign manager.

The Democrat circus now heads for Maryland, the District of Columbia and crucially Virginia where battles take place tomorrow...

Meanwhile, John Edwards who dropped out of the race after Super Tuesday last week, is reported to be having meetings with both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but he's keeping tight-lipped over which, if any, of the front-runners he will support.

Obama wins Georgia and Illinois: Clinton wins Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee...

First CNN predictions from Super Tuesday calls Georgia and Illinois for Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton wins Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee.

No surprise that Hillary wins President Clinton's home state of Arkansas.

No surprise either that Obama wins either his home state of Illinois or Georgia where he led from start to finish: CNN originally forecast Obama winning 2:1 over Hillary which would have been even bigger than his win in South Carolina.

But with the first actual results in, CNN have closed their Georgia prediction to an Obama win in the order of 55%-45%.

All of which seems to show once again how wildly out American pollsters can be, even on their exit polls.

So it's a long night ahead with almost half of all American voters eligible to vote today, and and polls now closed in half the states choosing tonight. There's still three more hours of voting on the west coast including California, where Hillary is still favourite.

Turnout appears to be reaching a record high coast-to-coast reflecting the closeness of the Clinton-Obama clash.

But even when all the Super Tuesday votes are counted in all the states, many pundits expect the Democrat race to be so close that there may not even be a clear winner when we wake up tomorrow.

In the Republican camp, tonight is expected to give Vietnam veteran John McCain the nomination, though early predictions give Romney some states.

If McCain does clinch the nomination at 71 he would be the oldest ever President to enter the White House - if he were to win the general election in the fall.

So it looks likely that the next President will either be the first woman President, the first black President or the oldest ever President...

UPDATE:
McCain still favoured to win Connecticut, Illinois and New Jersey, with Mitt Romney taking Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee taking West Virginia.

3am UPDATE:
Clinton projected to win Massachusetts by at least ten points. This is a big loss for Obama who spent eve of poll rallying his vote in Mass. Clinton also projected to win her own state of New York, as well as next door New Jersey, and the key state of Arizona.

Obama protected to win Alabama and Delaware.

So with ten of tonight's 24 states now called, Clinton is projected to win six and Obama four.

With voting still going on in California, it's likely to be our breakfast time before clear results are in with delays expected due to higher than expected turnout.

Bedtime! A new day dawns, does it not?

Hillary wins hollow victory in Florida: will Giuliani now back McCain...?

Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination for Florida - but it's a hollow victory.

None of the main Democrats campaigned in Florida following a national decision to punish the state for having the temerity to hold their primary ahead of next week's Super Tuesday when over 20 states make their choice.

Four states were allowed to break the rules - but not Florida!

Although a bit of a sideshow, the win gave Hillary a chance to make a victory speech on national TV ahead of Super Tuesday.

She campaigned for Florida to get its delegates reinstated to the national convention. If there is no decisive winner coming out of Super Tuesday, a late decision to admit Florida to the party could be crucial for Hillary.

But the big story in Florida is in the Republican camp. With half the precincts reporting, John McCain is on 36 per cent, Mitt Romney on 32, but former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is trailing a poor third on only 15 per cent.

It appears that Giuliani has spectacularly lost his huge gamble to put all his eggs - and money - into the Florida basket, and stay out of previous contests. It meant he had to win Florida to have any chance of a shot at the nomination.

Will Giuliani go to California in the next 24 hours, withdraw from the contest, but back John McCain, and still be in with a chance of becoming Vice-Presidential candidate on a McCain ticket?

Clinton concedes defeat in South Carolina: huge win for Obama...

With more than two-thirds of the precincts now declared, Barack Obama heading for a huge victory over Hillary Clinton in the South Carolina primary.

It puts Obama back on level-pegging with Clinton, with each of them winning two states.

But winning by such a huge margin badly hurts Hillary Clinton. It will Barack Obama with the momentum going on to Super Tuesday in nine days time when 22 states make their nomination. And it will be Hillary Clinton who is on the back foot again...

Looks like this race will go down to the wire.

UPDATE: With 95% of precincts now reported, Barack Obama has increased his lead to 28 points over Hillary Clinton...

Will history be made in South Carolina tonight...? UPDATED

Could history be made tonight in South Carolina...? Or will we have to wait ten days until Super-Dooper Tuesday before we know who's likely to be the next President of the United States.

The smart money is on Vietnam veteran John McCain to win the Republican nomination but I can't see him, or anyone else, stopping the Democrats after eight years of George Dubya Bush.

So it's odds-on that within a year, we'll see either the first black President or the first female President in the White House.

My heart's still with Barack Obama, but my money's on former first Lady
Hillary Clinton.

Tonight, the pressure is on Barack Obama to win the first Democratic primary in a state with a large black population - almost a third.

Race itself appears to have become an issue in the race as reported by Associated Press tonight.

It will be interesting to see how the black vote in SC splits, with many recalling that Hillary's husband Bill was generally supported by black voters. There has been some analysis showing that Clinton has so far fared better in states with secret ballots for the nomination rather than in open caucus events, suggesting that race may still be an issue.

What makes tonight's contest more interesting is that South Carolina is the home state of the very able John Edwards who is currently running third in the race for the Democrat nomination. Edwards needs a strong showing tonight to stay in the race. If he drops out before Super Tuesday, whether he backs Obama or Clinton could be crucial in deciding the eventual winner.

The final polls before voting in SC put Barack Obama eight points ahead of Hillary Clinton, with each of them anxious to talk up their rival's chances and underplay their own expectations.

Voting closes at 7pm local time in SC and CNN are reporting a record turnout in places, which could favour Obama.

I can see it's going to be another long night for anoraks like me...but nothing compared to the long night faced by the frontrunners and their campaign teams.

As the polls close in South Carolina, the race hots up in the 21 Super Tuesday states. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will be flying out of South Carolina later tonight to start campaigning elsewhere - even before tonight's results are known.

UPDATE: With voting now closed, exit polls analysed but no actual votes yet counted, CNN are predicting Obama will win South Carolina comfortably.