Obama sweeps to victory as first black president

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama swept to victory as the nation’s first black president Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself. “Change has come,” he told a jubilant hometown Chicago crowd.

The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states — Ohio, Florida, Iowa and more. He captured Virginia and Indiana, too, the first candidate of his party in 44 years to win either.

Obama’s election capped a meteoric rise — from mere state senator to president-elect in four years.

Spontaneous celebrations erupted from Atlanta to New York and Philadelphia as word of Obama’s victory spread. Supporters filled Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.

In his first speech as victor, to well over 100,000 people in Grant Park in Chicago, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. “The greatest of a lifetime,” he said, “two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.”

Will.i.am to debut new video postelection

NEW YORK – Will.i.am felt so confident about Barack Obama winning the presidency, he’s created a new song and video — much like his viral hit “Yes We Can” — to celebrate.

“It’s A New Day” was to debut Wednesday on the Web site dipdive.com.

Once again, Will.i.am enlisted fellow celebrities, asking them to send him their video testimonials: He spent part of Election Night editing them so he could debut the final product the next morning.

“This was inspired by America. It’s about Obama winning, and really paying tribute to those people who are responsible for that happening, and that’s the American people,” the Black Eyed Peas leader said Tuesday night. “The whole thing is really for people to leave testimonials … to create a page and leave testimonials on how they feel about this American accomplishment.”