Return to Transcripts main page

Campbell Brown

Barack Obama Elected President

Aired November 04, 2008 - 23:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: CNN can now project that Barack Obama, 47- years old, will become the President-elect of the United States. We project he now has enough electoral votes, more than 270, more than enough to become the 44th President of the United States.
This little known U.S. Senator, only a few years ago, seemingly coming out of nowhere, delivering the Democratic convention keynote address back at the Convention in 2004, all of a sudden taking off, becoming a United States Senator from Illinois and now, he will be the first African-American president of the United States.

This is a moment so many people have been waiting for and they're really excited, especially in Chicago. Let's listen in for a moment.

There you see the crowds. They are exhilarated right now. Some 232 years after the Declaration of Independence an African-American, a black man has been elected president of the United States. He will become the president-elect. He will be inaugurated and sworn in on January 20th of next year. The hard work will really, really begin at this moment.

But this is a moment right now that so many millions of people in the United States can celebrate because Barack Obama will become the 44th president of the United States -- Anderson.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR "AC 360": Roland Martin, as you watch these pictures, as think about this moment, your thoughts.

Obama's going to be sworn on January 20th, 2009. 2009 will mark the 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Obama got his start in politics in Springfield, Illinois. It was a race riot in Springfield, Illinois that led to the creation of NAACP.

COOPER: Bill Bennett?

BILL BENNETT, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think I said everything I want to say. I will pray for him, pray for the country, congratulations. It's a great country. It's a great country and I hope he's a great president.

COOPER: David.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Anderson, I went back to look at the last speech that Martin Luther King gave back in 1968, it was the day before he died, when he was assassinated. He said, "I just want to do God's will. He's allowed me to go up to the mountain and I've looked over and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land."

It seems to me for an awful lot of people in this country, especially for African-Americans, Barack Obama said he's part of the Joshua generation, Martin Luther King was our Moses, that we're much closer to that now. We haven't ended our prejudice but there's something about this evening and this election that I think has made an awful lot of people feel this is the Joshua generation. We can reach something we thought we could never reach 40, 50 years ago.

COOPER: Gloria.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I went and looked back at the Constitution. The first sentence talks of our desire to form a more perfect union. We haven't done that but we're still striving. I think only the least gracious among us no matter what your political philosophy, only the least gracious wouldn't say that this was a watershed moment for America.

COOPER: Jeff.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Last year, I was lucky enough to go to Madrid with my family and went to the palace where the king always receives the President of the United States; it's one of these amazing European palaces.

I thought what if Barack Obama is a symbol who walks through, what if he is a representative to the world of the United States? That is going to be such a transformational experience in terms of how the world sees us, I don't know if we can really figure it out what it means at this point.

You know what, Anderson, I've seen America's parents for years; when their children say, I want to be a doctor, I want to be a lawyer, I want to be a politician, I want to be an astronaut, they always say, they can always point to an African-American who achieved it. Whenever a kid says, I want to be president, I literally saw black parents say, son, or daughter, you might think of being something else.

I have nine nieces and four nephews. When I talk to them I can actually say that and mean it.

COOPER: On the right hand side of your screen, images from Kenya, a celebration there; we've been showing images from around the world.

Soledad O'Brien also watching the reaction here. Soledad, your thoughts.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: When we were doing a documentary, "Black in America." it was amazing to have people think about the promise that a Barack Obama election could bring. People didn't even want to speak about it specifically in case it were not to happen, African-Americans of course. There were so many issues in black America, some of which we looked at. His election will not solve those issues overnight, but what a symbol it says as Jeff said, outside this nation and then inside this nation, the promise of how great America can be, to all Americans, all of us, with the election. With the step forward of this one man, I think African-Americans see this as such a historic and important moment, it's an incredible night.

COOPER: Roland Martin, as you look at these pictures, you're an Obama supporter, do you wish you were there tonight?

MARTIN: No. Because I think about Bernard Jared (ph), I think about Richard Duckley (ph), I think about Ida B. Wells (ph), Barnett (ph), these were some of the most historic black journalists. Their job was to chronicle history as it evolved.

To be able to sit here and look at that wall, to be able to watch this whole night transpire, this is what God destined for me to do, to be a journalist. This is the place where I would want to be because it's history and to be able to chronicle it, to be able to talk about it, there is nothing that can replace it.

Whenever I listen to my peers and mentors and they talked about, when Joe Louis beat Max Schmeling and they talked about Jackie Robinson breaking the major league color-barrier, they talked about the "I Have a Dream" speech, they were there. They talked about it from a historical standpoint.

In 30 years and I'll be 40 years old next Friday -- 30 years -- I can have that very same conversation. There's no place I'd rather be than on this set on this night.

COOPER: Tara Wall, as you sit here watching this, want to get the whole back panel's reaction, your thoughts?

TARA WALL, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: It is a historic day, certainly; much congratulations to Barack Obama. I think that certainly for African- Americans, history has been made. Whether you agree with him ideologically or not, it is significant.

While many blacks are having a very proud moment in America right now, never thought they would see this, you have to remember as well, he is not just a black president but the president for all Americans. And whether you're black, white, rich, poor, Republican, Democrat, we do have to move forward as a country and support this president and see what he does as a president that's going to represent all Americans.

COOPR: Paul.

PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I'm thinking about Barbara Jordan, one of the great leaders of civil rights. 34 years ago as a Congresswoman, she said when the constitution was written it began with "We, the people" but it left her out. She thought maybe it was by accident.

In truth that document enslaved her and insulted her counting her as three-fifths of a human being but she concluded in that speech saying my faith in the constitution is whole, it is total, it is complete.

Tonight reminds me what the scripture said that faith is a substance of things hoped for. This has been hoped for by a lot of people a long time. People kept faith with the American dream and that Constitution even when they were left out of it. This is a wonderful and powerful night for everybody who believes in the Constitution and the American dream. This is a very cynical age and it's kind of a cynical profession that we're in and you cannot look upon these people and look at the history that's made tonight and be a cynic.

COOPER: James.

JAMES CARVILLE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I grew up in a segregated school so I didn't go to school with African-Americans. Although where I grew up, it was overwhelming and just could not overestimate the significance of this event, it's not just another presidential election.

I'm looking at these people's faces, I don't blame them. I certainly never thought -- later on I did, as a child and even as young man and even in middle age, I never thought I'd see this. This is a remarkable thing for this country and I think it's making a big statement about us as a people, I really do.

ALEX CASTELLANOS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Remarkable night, I think a great night for the country.

When you think of the great American presidents, they have been transformational men, whether FDR, or John F. Kennedy or Ronald Reagan, they are people who took America into a new frontier. Whether it's the Depression or that Cold War, or today, we see new global challenges, security, certainly a new global economic frontier for America.

It seems America has once again has chose a transformational leader, someone who would take a country that's a little lost and uncertain into the future, a new frontier election and new frontier president, I think that's what we're seeing tonight, Godspeed.

MARTIN: Have an e-mail from a daughter of Viola Liuzzo, I hope I pronounced her name correctly, people may not remember, this was a white mother from Michigan who drove down south to try to register African-Americans. She was blown away on the highway by some white supremacists.

Clearly, we have our pictures and we are showcasing understandable African-Americans. There wasn't any number of whites in this country who walked and who marched and had protested this. They're folks who raised funds, they're people who gave money and there were people who said they were not going to raise their children the way they were raised.

I think about those white southern justices, those Fifth Circuit Appeal judges who put into place Brown versus Board of Education. They were disowned by their own frames of family members. So this is not just, I think, a moment for African-Americans to celebrate, there were any number of people who wanted to see this day come, who truly wanted to say, yes, to be an American, whether black, white, Hispanic, Asian, or whatever we're all in this together. I think they also are celebrating as well because that family, their mother gave their life, a white mother from Michigan, just like African-Americans gave their lives for the right to vote as well.

COOPER: By the way, we should point out we're just about two minutes away from hearing from Senator John McCain who will addressing crowds on the grounds of the Biltmore Hotel in Arizona. We, of course, will bring that to you live.

BORGER: This nation has such elasticity, flexibility. People you talk to abroad can't believe that the country that elected George W. Bush eight years ago has shifted and is now electing Barack Obama. They ask, how -- how can you -- what? How can you -- how can you do that? It's because we have an amazing ability in this country to learn to change and to give opportunity. I think that that's what's going on here.

We've already changed a lot. I think this is going to really make change come a lot faster in this country. It's going to speed it up.

GERGEN: I want to go back to the youth question too, as you look over that crowd. There are an awful lot of young people in that crowd out there we're looking at now; it's this millennial generation does represent fresh hope for this country. And one reason is it is more diverse. 40 percent of this millennial generation is minority and they have learned to look beyond gender and race much more than the older generation has and they hope in a new way. It's that part of it which, I think, renews the country as well. It's the fact that people spread out with new ideas, fresh ideas and fresh hopes.

BORGER: Give the other guy a chance.

GERGEN: Much of this election is not just about Barack Obama tonight. It's about those thousands, hundreds of it.

COOPER: Look at that crowd. That is a remarkable sight.

GERGEN: They all have been working together on the Internet, talking to each other, encouraging each other along, forming a community, forming a movement that he's the leader of the movement. If this is a bottom up campaign then that represents a lot of the hope for the country in the future. That sea of humanity here tonight, Manassas last night, Orlando we saw a couple nights ago, one city after another that represents sort of an army for change.

COOPER: I remember that saying I think it was by George Packer of the New Republic he was online saying that in the last several days, he's seen heaviness in Barack Obama, a realization of what lies ahead. It's no longer just about winning, it's about actually governing.

TOOBIN: In New Yorker, not the New Republic.

COOPER: I'm sorry. The New Yorker.

That is something whether he has been wrestling -- it is something he is certainly now has to face.

BENNETT: Absolutely. That generation has to face it, too. I remember all that generation so I was old enough in the '60s, this is the best and most idealistic. No, they weren't. They talked a good game. When it came to performance, many didn't measure up.

We'll see. It's in the testing. Life is a long run. One other American figure I think who has to be cited tonight is that other Illinoisian who had that burden.

COOPER: Reverend Jesse Jackson who's right there.

BENNETT: I was thinking of Lincoln not Jackson.

COOPER: No, I was looking at the picture. We have a picture there of Reverend Jackson crying.

BENNETT: But talk about the burden. Yes. Now comes the job and I think he knows that.

MARTIN: You know what, Anderson? Look at the picture of Reverend Jackson, talk about this whole thing on the campaign was interesting, it was Reverend Jackson's run in 1990 that created the delegation.

COOPER: We've got John McCain, and Cindy McCain, Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd. Let's listen in.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you for coming here on this beautiful Arizona evening.

My friends, we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.

A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him -- please -- to congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love. In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.

This is an historic election. I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight. I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too.

But we both recognize that though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation, and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound. A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to visit -- to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.

Let there be no reason now. Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on earth. Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it and offer him my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her Creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.

Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences and he has prevailed. No doubt, many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans -- I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences, and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger better country than we inherited.

Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.

It is natural, it's natural tonight to feel some disappointment, but tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again. We fought -- we fought as hard as we could. And though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours.

MCCAIN SUPPORTERS: No. John McCain, John McCain.

MCCAIN: I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends. The road was a difficult one from the outset but your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you.

I am especially grateful to my wife, Cindy, my children, my dear mother -- my dear mother and all my family and to the many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign.

I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me. You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate. And that's been true in this campaign. All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude and the promise of more peaceful years ahead. I am also -- I am also, of course, very thankful to Governor Sarah Palin, one of the best campaigners I've ever seen. One of the best campaigners I have ever seen and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength. Her husband, Todd, and their five beautiful children; for their tireless dedication to our cause, and the courage and grace they showed in the rough and tumble of a presidential campaign. We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country.

To all my campaign comrades, from Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter to every last volunteer who've fought so hard and valiantly month after month, in what at times seemed to be the most challenged campaign in modern times. Thank you so much. A lost election will never mean more to me than the privilege of your faith and friendship.

I don't know what more we could have done to try to win this election. I'll leave that to others to determine. Every candidate makes mistakes and I'm sure I made my share of them but I won't spend a moment of the future regretting what might have been.

This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life, and my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience. And to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Senator Obama and my old friend, Senator Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years -- please, please.

I would not -- I would not be an American worthy of the name should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for half a century. Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone. And I thank the people of Arizona for it.

Tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens. Whether they supported me or Senator Obama, whether they supported me or Senator Obama, I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent, and will be my President. And I call on all Americans as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America because nothing is inevitable here.

Americans never quit, we never surrender, we never hide from history, we make history. Thank you and God bless you and God bless America. Thank you all very much.

BLITZER: All right, so there he is, a very, very gracious concession speech by Senator McCain. There he is with his wife, Cindy and the Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd. They are in Phoenix, Arizona right now.

They certainly had hoped it wouldn't end like this but it has. Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States. And Joe Biden will become the Vice President of the United States. The Governors of Illinois and of Delaware will now have to get replacements for both Joe Biden among other things, who is re-elected the Senator from Delaware tonight, but he'll be replaced in the U.S. Senate by the Governor there and in Illinois there will be a new Senator as well.

Both Barack Obama and Joe Biden will get ready for this transition period between now and January 20th, 2009 when they will be sworn in on the Capitol steps of the United States Congress and they will become the next President and Vice President of the United States.

Senator Obama is getting ready to speak to the crowd. He's going to come over to Grant Park there. You see these live pictures from Chicago. He was on the phone earlier; he took Senator McCain's concession call. They spoke; we're told it was very, very gracious conversation.

But now this crowd in Chicago, very different than the crowd we just saw in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Biltmore Hotel. But there are tens of thousands of people, maybe hundreds of thousands who have gathered in Grant Park, Chicago to hear from Barack Obama. He will become the next President of the United States.

I think it's fair to say, Anderson, that millions and millions of people not only in the United States but around the world and they're watching here on CNN and at CNN International in more than 240 countries and territories, they will never forget where they were precisely when it was reported at 11:00 p.m. on the East Coast of the United States, when we reported that Barack Obama will become the President-elect of the United States.

It's one of those rare moments people will always remember where they were.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Like it will be when Barack Obama takes the stage there at Grant Park in front of that crowd which has been there, has been slowly building throughout the evening, a crowd which more than anything, I think right now wants to see Barack Obama and his wife and their children and Joe Biden on that stage, as if to confirm what we already know, but just to confirm that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States.

It will be a remarkable moment. For those Obama supporters who thought the moment when he accepted the Democratic nomination was a historic moment, this is truly another milestone, one that, as Wolf said, many people will remember where they were at the moment they first heard.

And we're getting reports, one of our writers, Cate, just emailed me and saying that she opened up her window and looked across the street and FedEx workers at the FedEx plants across from her apartment were throwing up their hats and yelling out in the streets. There are also reports of people just honking horns and yelling in the streets of New York City, and no doubt that's being repeated in cities and small towns across the country tonight. DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I want to go back to the point that Gloria made about how this country could have elected George Bush eight years ago and elected Barack Obama today. I think it's an interesting point.

I think it's a question the world is asking itself tonight. Because what we've all found in our travels and the BBC survey recently, they asked people from 22 different countries, who would you prefer as President of the United States. And in all 22, by margins of three or four to one, they preferred Obama.

And what I found is that people who've come to me and said in the last few years, we've seen a lot of things about America that we haven't liked. But there's a whole election cycle, Obama in particular, remind us about what we admired about America, the dynamism, the openness of the system.

I think this is going to make the world reconsider who we are in a very positive way and open up a window for Obama who we're talking about being a leadership, he's got a window for leadership now internationally as well. And the people are going to rally for him.

COOPER: We've been joined by Ed Rollins. Ed, you've seen a lot of races but nothing like this clearly.

ED ROLLINS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: There's never been anything like this. You'd had it at someone who two years ago, a survey was done pitting him head to head with McCain; he won the Illinois and Hawaii and the District of Columbia. And of course, he beat the Democrat establishment a very strong candidate who was presumed to be the nominee and was possible to be president.

He beat back a very strong candidate, raised unprecedented amounts of money, he had the biggest volunteer army ever and ran the most disciplined campaign I've seen in 40 years and did not make a single major mistake from start to finish. And that's pretty extraordinary and I think the country rewarded him.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It wasn't easy for him. And he did make mistakes, remember the Reverend Wright and remember lots folks felt that he's needed to distance himself from Reverend Wright sooner than he did and he had some foreign policy issues and Russia. But an amazingly well-run campaign that understood the process better than the professionals in the Hillary Clinton campaign --

COOPER: He created a campaign too, really, from nothing. I mean, against a candidate, Hillary Clinton, well funded, incredibly well- known, had a huge number of very experienced people around her to really create something from whole cloth is unheard of.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a modern campaign in a way that we didn't think there could be a modern campaign. He took his community organizing ability and wedded it to the Internet. And did something that was so different from any other campaign that's ever been done. He also, by the way, has 3 million contributors in his database who are not simply going to go away, who will be a powerful lobbying force for his agenda. So that's the significant thing to remember looking forward.

COOPER: We understand President Bush has called President-elect Barack Obama to congratulate him. We're going to take a short break. We're anticipating Barack Obama arriving.

We're of course going to bring that to you as soon as it happens. If it happens during the break, we will break into the break for you.

Our coverage continues. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A truly historic night here in the United States, Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States. A very, very decisive and impressive win in the Electoral College and we're going to update our viewers on this.

COOPER: And we are also expecting Barack Obama to appear and speak before the assembled crowd of several of thousands at the very least assembled in Grant Park in Chicago, we're going to bring that to you live as well.

BLITZER: And once he starts speaking we'll go there and we are very anxious to hear what he has to say. As you know he's, not only receive the Congressional authority call, the concession statement from Senator McCain but we're told that you pointed out President Bush has already called him to congratulate him and to invite him to come to the White House with his family to get used to what's going to be in store for him at least for the next four years.

But let me walk over an update our viewers on how Barack Obama did this tonight, first of all with a popular vote.

Well, let's take a look at the popular vote right now, with 65 percent of the vote now in, throughout the United States so far, Barack Obama has 51 percent, to John McCain's 48 percent, so an advantage of about 3,099,000; that's with 65 percent of the vote in.

But as important as the popular vote is, it's not important enough. This is the really important vote, the Electoral College vote right now. And by our projection, Barack Obama already has 338 Electoral College votes, John McCain 155. You need 270 to be elected President of the United States. He has more than 270.

All those blue states are states that Barack Obama has won. The red states are states that John McCain has won. The yellow states are states that we still cannot project a winner in those states, including in Virginia -- excuse me, including in North Carolina, in Indiana, Missouri and Montana. Alaska, they haven't closed the polls yet in Alaska but we're widely -- we're expecting that that state will wind up for John McCain. Now, let's take a look and see how he put together this win tonight. And we'll go to some of the projected projections that we have how he did it.

I want to first of all, put up on the screen, we'll do that in a moment, but Anderson, I guess one of the critical moments was Florida. He carried Florida, obviously on the West Coast, California, Oregon and Washington State that was more than enough to put it together.

But the fourth largest state in the United States, Florida was clearly, clearly a huge win because both of these candidates spent so much time trying to win Florida and Barack Obama won Florida.

COOPER: There's also a number of important Senate races that we're continue to look; at some House races also; the ballot initiative in California -- the Prop 8 -- about marriage equality and will try to bring our viewers an update on that.

A lot ahead in this next couple of hours to keep watching.

BORGER: Yes, and just to talk about Florida for a minute Anderson. What was so interesting to me is we all knew that it was going to be close and tight there. But Barack Obama used his money wisely there, he outspent John McCain 4-1, visited the state a tremendous amount of times.

But also identified 600,000 African-American voters who had been registered to vote in the last election but didn't show up; identified each one of those voters and made sure that they turned out for this election.

In the end, we don't know yet, that they may have provided the margin for him, we just don't know.

GERGEN: It's pretty clear now that his popular vote, his majority -- his majority is going to be the largest we have seen since Lyndon Johnson. And that is a significant achievement. It's also pretty clear that his Electoral College vote is now going to make him -- that he has reached what he hoped to do, and that was to become a national winner and not just a winner in the blue states plus one.

I mean, he has really -- fully in Florida and North Carolina, I mean, Florida and Virginia, possibly North Carolina, makes him -- gives him that southern base. Pulling in now New Mexico, it looks like Nevada and Colorado.

COOPER: And that makes a difference when he actually gets to Washington.

GERGEN: It makes a very big difference, Anderson. In the perception that he is a national President, he represents all sections of the country. He is not a bicoastal president alone.

Yes, his great strength is in the west and in the northeast. But he is more national. I also think it strengthens the perception he represents everybody, but I also think it puts a burden on him to represent everybody, going back to earlier conversation whether you govern essentially from the central left, or either govern from the left. I think in order to keep that coalition together that's going to push him and a lot of people are going to be coming with him in the House of Representatives, especially but also some of the center groups to be more of the center left.

COOPER: If anything, the way he ran his campaign though, seemed to be reaching out to as many diverse groups as possible, whereas the McCain campaign seemed, rightly or wrongly, to be whittling down the groups that they were appealing to.

GERGEN: I think that's absolutely right, but remember -- how often -- that John McCain just did give a generous valedictory there I mean good for him and Sarah Palin.

But how often they accused Barack Obama being the most liberal man member of the Senate, this is going to be a liberal cabal and it's going to represent a very small -- the elites of the country.

This is not what this victory is about, it represents masses of Americans and in a way that really sends a very different signal to everybody, "Wait a minute, I got elected by much of the country and I had strength in all sections of the country."

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Take a look at some of these numbers. You've got 96 percent of the African-American vote, these are the exit polls the latest that we've had, 67 percent of the Latino vote, 66 percent of the youth vote, 68 percent of the new voters voted which made up 11 percent of the electorate, 68 percent of them.

So there is definitely this message of inclusion that seemed to resonate. I agree, that there is this issue, of how do you appeal to everybody at all times, that's a bigger challenge when you're campaigning and promising things as opposed to campaigning and being elected and then delivering things.

But also it's a symbol of a new America, the America of 2050 where minorities make up the majority in this country. That is the point. In the sense the minorities will be the minority so the face of America is changing. It's not Joe the Plumber.

BORGER: And in terms of his use of power which he will have, believe me he can go to members of Congress and say, you know what, I brought you here, you're going to owe me one. And he can go to conservatives that way and he can go to liberals that way.

And so in the end, he can become a conciliator even though lots of people say he is a liberal, his nature is to be a conciliator and I think he has a great opportunity to do that right now in the Congress.

GERGEN: Starting tonight, the speech tonight now becomes very, very important. Because this is his moment when he shows how --

COOPER: It's not just about celebrating tonight, it's about looking forward.

GERGEN: He's looking forward.

TARA WALL, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: And I think it's one part too and particularly before we were talking about Florida, it's obvious that the economic situation really dominated there because McCain thought the older voters was going to go his way. He didn't really think he was going to have to fight for Florida in the way that he had to. And despite the older voters being in Florida, they were as was mentioned before hit by this economic situation with the housing situation.

And then the other trump obviously is that youth voter. Year after year and election after election, we always talk about the young people being energized and inspired and getting out and they never turn out what they never turn out. Well, this is the election, this is the year they did actually turn out and it was in Obama's favor.

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Also, for the first time in Florida, a Democrat won the majority of the Latino vote. That's a generation. I mean that is -- Matt Bereto (ph) who has been sending emails all night talking about how critical that is. And when Bill was there earlier, we were talking about this whole -- this shift.

What you're seeing is California, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada, you're seeing it -- not necessarily in Texas, Florida, this whole new coalition, Democrats don't have to rely on 45, 50 percent in terms of white voters or in terms of the whole coalition.

And so, how they run campaigns, Obama has shown even how that change is the kind of campaigns you're going to see over the next four years for the how they do the whole outreach. And so I think from the Republican standpoint, how Bush did so well in 2004 with Hispanics, I mean, they had a serious issue now as to how they position this party to win elections going forward.

WALL: This is like an "come to Jesus" (ph) for the Republican Party

BORGER: Certainly in many ways

WALL: Well, I mean on so many levels, I've got to believe, and I've written on this, that this is really an eye opener for the Republican Party and it does have to re-evaluate. And I believe it will, in ways as it relates to conservatism, the moderates within the party, minorities. I think that this conversation is something that has had to be had with the party starting back in 2006.

BORGER: Independent voters are so important in this election. McCain when he was an Independent was running ahead of the Republican brand. When he became more of the tax and spend old fashioned Republican, and maybe my Republican friends would argue with me about this, he didn't do as well.

And so now I think with the new President we have, in Barack Obama, it's like a great national Rorschach test. You look at him, and what do you see? And to the liberals, you might see a liberal. And to the moderates, you might see a moderate. We just don't know what it's going to be.

MARTIN: And you know the African-Americans say he's African-American, and I'm getting e-mails from and say yes, but he's also half white.

BORGER: Exactly.

MARTIN: The bottom line is, I mean, the guy is --

WALL: Well, this is why he's -- again he has to represent all of America. There's a lot that we can be inspired by being he's the president for all of America.

MARTIN: No doubt.

COOPER: We understand that President-elect Barack Obama is on site in a location at Grant Park. We are of course, is going to bring you his comments live, we're going to take a short break. When we come back, most likely, Barack Obama.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We have got some live pictures coming in from the White House. I want you to take a look at this. This is right outside the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. Lots of folks in Washington, D.C. have just come over there to celebrate the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

Campbell, you know, both of us are former White House correspondents. We know that area quite well. This is a spontaneous reaction and we're seeing this all over the country.

BROWN: I know. We've been hearing anecdotally, stories from friends and family here in New York City. People are out in the streets in Times Square, in Harlem, in various neighborhoods in New York and clearly seeing it in Washington, as well, celebrating tonight; it's like it's New Year's Eve.

BLITZER: Celebrating all over the country. A moment a lot of people never thought they would see but they're seeing it right now. I know you have a very special guest you want to talk to.

BROWN: We do. We want to take to you Atlanta, to the Ebenezer Baptist Church. We have the youngest daughter joining us of Martin Luther King Jr. Bernice King joining us right now; Bernice, just give me a sense of what this night, this moment means to you.

BERNICE KING, DAUGHTER OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.: You know, this means to me that the work that my mother and father sacrificed for was not in vain. And I'm so honored just to be connected to their blood line. I was very touched tonight and moved to tears when I heard the announcement.

And I know that this is something that my father would be proud of America for. He would be proud of the many young people who turned out at the polls to make this possible. And it's just a new dawning of a day in America.

BROWN: And Bernice, we can hear the celebration happening there, obviously, where you are. It is extremely loud but give me a sense for how you believe Barack Obama has said he's going to bring this country together after an election that was this difficult, this tough, this nasty at times; so polarizing. How does he bring people together now?

KING: Well, you know, it's a process. And I think he'll do it the same way he tried to do it even in his campaign. President Obama -- I'm trying to get used to that -- is a bridge builder. I think he will continue to talk about building bridges.

I think we'll talk about overcoming what divides us and getting all of us focused on one page so that we can move America forward and address the pressing needs that affect so many of us. And I think if he just focuses on the things that he's focused on, health care -- can you hear?

BROWN: I got you.

KING: Hello?

BROWN: All right. I think we are losing her; Bernice King joining us there. You can hear a loud, extremely exuberant celebration at the Ebenezer Baptist Church down in Atlanta. Bernice, we want to thank you very much for being with us for this second. Throw it now to Anderson.

COOPER: Thanks very much.

We are told we're within two minutes of Barack Obama talking to the crowds at Grant Park. You can see right now the crowds are there. Clearly they know he's there, as well; waiting to hear from the president-elect.

David Gergen, you are saying in terms of what Barack Obama is likely to speak about tonight, it is not just a night of celebration. It's a time to look forward. It is a time to talk already about governing.

GERGEN: I think they have designed this -- as I understand it from the Obama camp, they want to go for a very fast start. They want to open their transition office tomorrow at noon. He's going to give a press conference tomorrow --

COOPER: They're going to open their transition office tomorrow?

GERGEN: Tomorrow at noon is what I understand. That's what they were planning. He wants to name his new chief of staff tomorrow if possible. They want to name his transition chief. He wants to get moving very quickly.

He's always looked forward to this moment when he can make the transition to governing.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: He told us there will be no press conference tomorrow.

GERGEN: That's what's really important. And so I think he wants -- I mean, I have gotten a copy of an e-mail he's now sent out to all his supporters saying you're great, you're terrific, thank you for the passion and support. I'm going to be back to you soon about what we need to do next.

BORGER: Right. He is going to govern that way.

GERGEN: He's going to govern that way, yes. He is going to draw upon the Internet to mobilize these hundreds of thousands of people.

BORGER: And in terms of transition, I mean, this is a campaign that has planned everything. And they have planned the transition since last May; since before he was the nominee. Very early on, started since last May. And when he went to visit his grandmother for the last time in Hawaii, he took along with him a large transition memo that he read on the airplane because they were well along the way in planning their government; as it should be, by the way.

O'BRIEN: It can't all be "let me talk to you about politics folks" full time. It's going to be --

BORGER: Not tonight.

O'BRIEN: It's going to be he is a symbol of so much to so many. While things do not change overnight clearly for African-Americans and minorities in this country, it is a symbol to so many people of who have waited a long time and, also, a symbol to a new generation, a bridge literally.

COOPER: We're told we're just a few seconds away. Let's listen in to what the crowds there are listening to as we await the arrival there on stage of president-elect Barack Obama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the next First Family of the United States of America.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches. In numbers this nation has never seen. By people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives. Because they believed that this time must be different; that their voices could be that difference.