McCain vs. Obama: Election Day
Posted: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 9:45 AM by Mark Murray
The AP: "Long lines have formed as polls open in Eastern states as Barack Obama's bid to become the first black president faced the final test of his remarkable two-year journey Tuesday, while Republican John McCain pressed for an Election Day upset."
The New York Daily News: "After the longest, most expensive, most-watched presidential election, the epic battle between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain shifts Tuesday to the nation's true deciders -- the voters. The candidates battled to the finish, the end of a sales job that spanned some 670 days, 45 debates, $2.5 billion spent and untold millions of YouTube video hits, all of them record-setters."
USA Today also runs a helpful what-to-watch-for story regarding the poll closings.
The New York Times’ Nagourney: “The 2008 race for the White House that comes to an end on Tuesday fundamentally upended the way presidential campaigns are fought in this country, a legacy that has almost been lost with all the attention being paid to the battle between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. It has rewritten the rules on how to reach voters, raise money, organize supporters, manage the news media, track and mold public opinion, and wage — and withstand — political attacks, including many carried by blogs that did not exist four years ago. It has challenged the consensus view of the American electoral battleground, suggesting that Democrats can at a minimum be competitive in states and regions that had long been Republican strongholds.”
"One prominent forecaster said he believes the turnout percentage could be the highest in a century, and election watchers say that could create problems for election officials worried about technology breakdowns and flawed voter lists. Because of catastrophic problems in the 2000 and 2004 presidential contests, an army of citizen watchdogs has sprung up across the country."
The New York Daily News looks at the Election Day superstitions of both candidates: "[T]he two White House hopefuls will cling to long-held superstitions that have helped them through past political contests. McCain, the ex-Navy jet jockey, is famous for having a treasure-trove of luck-luring items, ranging from a trusty compass to a feather, pen, blue sweater, shoes and penny. He's even got a lucky town - Peterborough, N.H., which he visited Sunday. He's also reportedly boasted a lucky hotel room and a lucky rubber band, which he's been known to wear around his wrist. His Election Night ritual: Watching a movie as the returns come in. McCain's wife, Cindy, likes to sport a deep-purple suit during the big countdown to gin up a little luck.
"Not to be outdone, Obama is known to tote a clutch of good fortune-drawing items, including an American eagle pin, a small image of a Madonna and child and a tiny figurine of a Hindu monkey god. He's made a tradition of playing pickup basketball -- sometimes at Chicago's East Bank Club -- before an election. This custom dates back at least to January, when Obama played the day of Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses and won. He didn't play before the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary -- and Hillary Clinton beat him. He'll be playing today."
Here’s the AP's look back at an election by numbers.
The NY Daily News takes a look back at the breakout stars who weren't the candidates.
