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America votes against change

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A deeply divided America returned President Barack Obama to the White House. While his Republican challenger was ahead in the popular vote, Obama crossed the 270 electoral-vote threshold by taking key swing states. This happened because of you, the president tweeted as it became clear he had won the grinding, see-saw battle that was the U.S. presidential campaign. At press time, Obama had 290 electoral votes to Republican competitor Mitt Romneys 201. The Democrats, as expected, retained their majority in the Senate. In his concession speech, the Republican candidate called for both sides to work together. The nation, as you know, is at a critical point, Romney said. At a time like this, we cant risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the peoples work. Romney, as expected, won much of the American south while Obama took large parts of the north and east coast. Television stations hesitated until after 11 p.m. to call a winner largely because the crucial states of Virginia, Ohio and Florida were such close battles with as little as a few hundred votes separating the two candidates at times throughout the evening and despite Romneys camp arguing their man still had a chance. The Republicans chances were hit by Obama victories in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, as well as New Hampshire. Romney last week visited Wisconsin, home state of his

U.s. eLeCtion: U.S. sticks with Obama after tight race with Romney

WA 12 OR 7 NV 6 ID 4 UT 6 AZ 11 AK 3
QMI AGENCY

2012 Election results

MT 3 WY 3 CO 9 NM 5 ND 3

NH 4

CA 55

HI 4

VT 3 ME 4 MN MA 11 NY 10 WI SD MI 29 RI 4 3 10 16 CT 7 PA IA NE NJ 14 6 20 OH 5 DE 3 IL IN 18 MD 10 WV VA KS MO 20 11 DC 3 5 13 6 10 KY 8 NC 15 TN 11 OK AR SC 7 6 9 Unofficial results MS AL GA Results as of 16 9 LA 6 12:30 a.m. TX 8 38 Leaning FL 29 Swing states

Electoral college votes 538 total 270 required to win

Obama

303
Romney

Democrats

206
wean rich seniors from social security and medicare benefits. Romney made it clear his first act, if elected president, would have been to axe Obamacare a controversial health-care program introduced by the president. Many voters interviewed outside polling booths expressed concern for the economy, providing insight into why probusiness Romney was leading in the popular vote well into the night. But some exit polls suggested voters were just as likely to blame former president George W. Bush for the fiscal woes as they were Obama. The lengthy campaign was marked with gaffes and setbacks on both sides. with files by Reuters

Republicans

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vice-presidential running mate, Paul Ryan, and had stopped in Pennsylvania earlier on Tuesday in hopes of pulling off a surprise win there. In a victory that also limited Romneys path to a victory, Obama won Michigan, the Republican leaders state of birth but where he ran afoul of voters by opposing an auto industry bailout pushed by Obama. Some polls had shown a tight race there. Election day in the U.S. - the conclusion of a seemingly endless campaign that polls had predicted would be a dead heat - was marred by voting hassles and irregularities, including robocalls misdirecting voters in some states and voting machine malfunctions. New Jersey extended the deadline to allow citizens forced

out by hurricane Sandy to vote by e-mail. But there were no immediate claims of anything widespread or systematic enough to cast doubt on the credibility of the election outcome. At least 120 million people had been expected to render judgment on whether to give the nations first black president a second term or replace him with Romney, a multimillionaire former head of a private equity firm and former governor of Massachusetts, who would have been the first Mormon president and one of the wealthiest Americans to assume the nations highest office. The campaign was fought in the shadow of a sickly U.S. economy, crippling debt, chronic domestic troubles and rancorous, divisive debate over

this happened because of you.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Twitter

health care, taxation and foreign policy. Two starkly different paths emerged for Americans on spending, taxes, health care and foreign policy challenges, such as the rise of China and Irans nuclear ambitions. The 51-year-old Obama laid out an election platform aimed straight at middle-class voters. President Obama is fighting to grow the economy from the middle out, not the top down, his website says. Mitt Romney wants to go back to the exact same policies that caused the

recession and hurt the middle class. If that pitch wasnt direct enough for Americans, Obama called his plan jobs and middle-class security. Obama promised hed extend middle-class income-tax cuts, increase taxes on millionaires, recruit 100,000 math and science teachers and boost domestic energy supply. Romneys five-point plan would bring America roaring back, the candidate vowed, after four years of sluggish economic performance. The Republican candidate, 65, had promised to reduce marginal income tax rates across the board by 20%, cut the corporate tax rate, lower government spending except for the military, which would see increased funds, and gradually

Now the real work begins

Simon Kent QMI Agency

anaLysis: Americans decided to stick with devil they know

romney proud of campaign

Bryn WeeSe Senior Washington Correspondent BOSTON It was a sedate crowd at Mitt Romneys election headquarters here Tuesday night anxiously awaiting results of this historic election even after most of the world declared a Barack Obama win. Romneys camp, frankly, didnt believe the results. And where some conservatives had predicted maybe wishfully that Romney would run away with the race, the election played out Tuesday night as most expected it would: close, right to the end. But one thing is certain, whether the Romney set was ready to accept the declarations of an Obama win or not, America remains deeply divided over its future. And with Republicans predicted to keep control of the Hous e of Repres entatives, more government gridlock in Washington remained a possibility. Make that a certainty once President Barack Obama was re-elected. Romney had promised voters to beat back the growing government, and its spending, and touted his experience in the private sector and working with Democrats as the Republican governor of this state as bona fides that would help him heal the partisan divide in Washington, cut the deficit and create jobs. Cheers went up from time to time inside the Boston Convention Center when safe Republican states were declared f o r R o m n e y Ke n t u c k y , A r k a n s a s, G e o r g i a , S o u t h Carolina, and others. But ultimately it was the swing states that mattered, and enough of those races went Obamas way in the end. And even as same-sex marriage supporters earlier demonstrated outside Romneys party at the Boston Convention Center a reminder that Massachusetts is a solidly liberal state Republicans remained upbeat. Craig Romney, one of five of the Republican presidential candidates sons, addressed the crowd of supporters and told them it was never a foregone conclusion that Romney would run in this election anyway, having lost in 2008 to John McCain. The family, he said, encouraged him to run given his experience as a Republican governor in this Democrat state, turning around the scandalplagued Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and as a successful businessman. And its that experience Romney was hoping Americans were looking for in their next president. Expressing confidence, Romney told reporters on his plane as he flew back to Boston that he had written only one speech for evening, one celebrating his victory. Im very proud of the campaign that Ive run, to tell you the truth, he said. Im sure like any campaign, people can talk to mistakes, but thats going to be part of anything thats produced by human beings. bryn.weese@sunmedia.ca

repUbLiCan reaCtion: Candidates son speaks

TORONTO Barack Hussein Obama has been re-elected president of the United States. After months of brutal campaigns that crisscrossed America, voters have decided to stay with the devil they know. They have rejected Republican challenger Mitt Romney and chosen four more years of rule by Democrat Barack Obama. It is never a simple exercise to decide just what moves voters to make one choice over another when it comes to national leadership. Put simply, U.S. presidential elections are referenda on the performance of the party with the keys to the White House. And in 2012, voters liked what they saw, but with the caveat: could do better. There are a few outstanding individual points, however, that indicate just why President Obama has returned. He knew his core constituency and ensured it was looked after. Socialist-style universal healthcare system has been promised to America, a country fiercely committed to the self-help ethic of capitalism. Obama was able to convince

Larry DoWning Reuters a large media group awaits U.S. President Barack obama before his election night rally in Chicago on tuesday.
those outside the system that as long as he was in the White House, their interests would be looked after. The massive financial bailout of the motor industry using taxpayer funds also looked after another core constituency of highly unionized, blue-collar workers. Finally there is the matter of Latinos. Obama reached out to their communities and opposed a hardline on illegal immigration that typified Republican approaches. Polls leading up to the presidential election consistently showed upwards of 70% support amongst Latino communities for the president. Then there is the matter of hope a word that Obama claimed as his own in two presidential election campaigns. While unemployment remains stubbornly high at 7.9% there are seeds of growth sprouting that have convinced American voters that hope for good times ahead may not be misplaced. The hope of a job in the land of the free is a powerful tonic and maybe, just maybe, Obama can deliver. On the ground, Obama won because he ran a better, more disciplined campaign, especially after the scare he received in the first presidential debate. Democrats worked the battleground states in a more effective manner and got the vote out where it counted. Now that Barack Obama is back he needs to heal the divisions that characterize U.S. politics and reach those who didnt vote Democrat. He rules for everyone, after all, not just those in his own party. On the world stage he must oversee the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the closure of Guantanamo Bay and negotiate the steady rise of China. At home there is a looming fiscal cliff that will need addressing. Those $607 million in spending cuts and tax breaks take effect in January, and Obama can either scale them back or work to drop them altogether. Such are the challenges ahead for the man chosen to lead what is still the most powerful nation on earth and Canadas nearest neighbour. simon.kent@sunmedia.ca

Shannon StaPLeton Reuters U.S. republican presidential nominee mitt romney walks onto stage to give his concession speech after losing the election.

Harper wakes to congratulate president

NEW DELHI, India While America voted, Prime Minister Stephen Harper slept. But when he awoke here in the Indian capital, polls were just closing on Americas east coast and, a few hours later, as Harper was wrapping a speech to a business crowd here, Republican challenger Mitt Romney conceded the election to U.S. President Barack Obama. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to congratulate President Barack Obama on his victory in tonights election and on being re-elected by the American people for a second term, Harper said. Reuters

Leader: Canadian Prime Minister in India during vote

Americans in Canada keep eager eye on vote

OTTAWA Americans and political junkies gathered in Ottawa to anxiously watch election results unfold south of the border on Tuesday evening. It is good to have all the political junkies in Ottawa show up in one place. And for most of you, it has got to be pretty good because it is not your election, U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson told a crowd gathered for an embassy party at the historic Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa. Jacobson says the relationship between Canada and the United States is strong and will remain strong moving forward. QMI Agency

CLose ties: U.S. Ambassador hosts political junkies in Ottawa

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