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Obama votes in Chicago; travels to Indiana (Roundup)
Nov 4, 2008, 17:17 GMT
Chicago - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama returned to Chicago, the city where his rise to prominence began, Tuesday and cast his vote at the Shoesmith Elementary School gymnasium.
Obama arrived at the polling station with his wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Natasha.
The Democratic candidate took his time, pausing to explain the process to his daughters at the booth, and prompting television commentators to joke: 'Is he undecided?'
Obama, 47, who would be the first African American president in US history if elected, was the strong favourite heading into Tuesday's vote.
As he boarded his plane to Indiana, where he planned to greet voters at polling stations, he said: 'I feel great, it was fun.'
Indiana, a battleground state, hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964.
Asked if he felt sentimental at the end of a 21-month long campaign, Obama said: 'I'm sure I will tonight - when the polls close, the journey ends. But voting with my daughters, that was a big deal.'
The Illinois senator then laughed and said: 'Michelle took a long time though. I had to check to see who she was voting for.'
Once he returns to Chicago from Indiana, Obama had plans to play some basketball - something he often does on election day, CNN reported.
Later tonight officials expect at least a million people to gather in Chicago's Grant Park to watch the results and hear from Obama after votes are tabulated in his race against Republican John McCain.
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Older Talkback
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To people like you all blacks are Black Panthers. Who cares, walk in and vote. They do not appear to be blocking the door. If they look like trouble, call the cops---just quit being such a crybaby. Man up, you are about to get your butt whipped.
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Black panthers intimidating white voters.Nov 4th, 2008 - 18:44:24
Black Panther intimidation at the polls?; NBPP: “We will be at the polls in the cities and counties in many states to ensure that the enemy does not sabotage the black vote, which was won through the blood of the martyrs of our people”
Fox News reported that two black panthers were at one location in Philadelphia “guarding” the doorway to a polling station. One carried a nightstick and confronted a citizen who had gone in to the polling place. That citizen called police (he was interviewed by the Philly correspondent for Fox). The citizen reported that police removed the black panther with the night stick, but the other, who lives in the area, remains near the door.”
The New Black Panther Party said yesterday it would send its members out to the polls to ensure its interests on Election Day:
Minister Najee Muhammad, national field marshal for the New Black Panther Party, and Uhuru Shakur, local chairman of the Atlanta chapter of the party, took turns reading statements from Dr. Malik Shabazz, leader of Black Lawyers for Justice and attorney for the party (yes, that Malik Shabazz)…
…”We will not allow some racists and other angry whites, who are upset over an impending Barack Obama presidential victory, to intimidate blacks at the polls,” Muhammad said. “Most certainly, we cannot allow these racist forces to slaughter our babies or commit other acts of violence against the black population, nor our black president.”
Muhammad added, “We must organize to counter and neutralize these threats using all means at our disposal. This is a great time for our people, and we must ensure that peace prevails for our people.”
JANE SKINNER: breaking election news, we have reports of possible voter intimidation in some way — pennsylvania. republicans saying that two black panthers have been blocking the doorway of one polling locations. rick, what are the details on this? what are you hearing?
RICK LEVENTHAL: i do not even know where to begin, but we have reached a polling place in the city of philadelphia. one of the two black panthers who was allegedly blocking the door is standing right over here, with an accused us of intimidating voters because we were here with a camera and microphone. he did not answer questions, other people here have confirmed that another person in black panther attire was holding a night stick and apparently the concern was that they were intimidating people who were trying to go inside to vote. a republican poll observer actually called the police, the police were here and we miss them, they came and left. that person called the police is here. why don’t you tell us — step down off the curb, if you do not mind. what is going on here?
CITIZEN: we got a phone call that there was intimidation going on. i walked up to the door, two gentlemen in black panther guard, one brandishing a nightstick, standing in front of the door. they closed ranks as i walked up. i am a veteran, that does not scare me. i went inside and found full- watchers, they said they had been here for an hour — i went inside and found poll-watchers, they said that they had said not to let people outside because black people are going to win no matter what. at that point, i spoke to him, we would not get into a fistfight, i said, and i called the police.
LEVENTHAL: the person with the nightstick was escorted away, which i just confirmed inside. but the implication is that you were telling me that the black panthers were there to intimidate white voters from coming to this location?
CITIZEN: anyone who is not going their way, i do not know. someone in front of a polling place with a nightstick, that is intimidating for all voters.
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