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History is made, Obama wins Oval Office
History is made, Obama wins Oval Office
Virginia goes blue, Fauquier bucks trend
By Bill Walsh
Times-Democrat Staff Writer
Shortly before 10 o'clock last night, the national networks called the state of Ohio for Barack Obama, and, for all practical purposes, the 2008 presidential race was over.
Moments after the polls closed on the West Coast at 11 p.m., the United States had elected the first African-American to its highest office, sending him to the White House come January with strong majorities in both houses of Congress, and a clear mandate to put the country back on a path from which, overwhelmingly, voters of every persuasion agree it has strayed.
Virginia, a battleground state for the first time in modern memory, climbed aboard the Obama express about 90 minutes after Ohio, when the urban vote from Northern Virginia began to figure prominently in the tally.
A landslide it wasn't. With 90 percent of Virginia precincts reporting, Obama and Biden had won just over 50 percent of the vote, McCain and Palin just about a point less. The difference was about 50,000 votes.
Though far from alone among the commonwealth's counties, Fauquier bucked the blue trend, clearly and unequivocally holding to its Republican roots.
The McCain-Palin ticket won 17 of 18 precincst here, many of them convincingly (see chart, page A-13).
Obama and running mate Joe Biden showed their greatest strength in the northern part of the county, coming close in Leeds precinct in Marshall District, in The Plains precinct in Scott District, and running very close in Warrenton precinct and actually winning in Courthouse precinct, both in Center District .
But the winning ticket lost Fauquier County by nearly 5,000 votes.
About 70 percent of the counties voters went to the polls, and slightly more than 57 percent of them voted for McCain-Palin. Obama and Biden accounted for about 42 percent of the vote, with various minor participants picking up the remainder.
Shortly before 11:30 p.m., McCain spoke to supporters, praising Obama's campaign and recalling the long, hard struggle of African-Americans over the decades.
"This is an historic election and I reognize the special significance it has for African-Americ ans and the special pride is has for them tonight.
"Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on earth."
He also referred to Obama as "my president" and swore to offer him support in the days ahead.
"These are difficult times for our country and I pledge tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us."
And though the results bring disappointment, it is time, he said, for the nation to move on.
"Tomorrow we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again.'
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