presidential election

Phil Caracci was tired but exhilarated on the morning of the election.
“I checked my last email at 2 a.m. and woke up at 4:30 this morning,” he said. “I’m excited that this day is here, but I’m looking forward to sleeping tomorrow.”

Caracci runs McCain Manhattan, an all-volunteer organization that has mobilized New Yorkers to get out the vote for John McCain. The morning of the election, Caracci and a few hundred McCain supporters gathered in front of ABC Studios in Times Square for one final rally before the election is decided.

“Good Morning America” invited both McCain and Obama supporters to come out for their candidates. McCain enthusiasts far outnumbered those holding Obama signs.

‘Our Traffic Island’

“I just feel we have the momentum, I mean right here in Manhattan we won on this piece of rock,” Caracci said. “This is our traffic island, so it’s very exciting.”

Even though advocates of McCain have taken to the city streets to support the Republican presidential ticket, many realized long ago that New York was a lost cause. The McCain campaign’s decision to move many resources out of New York City months ago left the Republican presidential efforts in the hands of volunteers.

Ed Cox, the chairman for the McCain campaign in New York, said the Times Square rally was the culmination of the volunteers’ work.

“We’ve have had a great time fighting for every vote here in New York State,” he said. “Also we’ve been telephoning across the country, helping in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and it’s just been a great race.”

High Hopes

Some Manhattan McCain campaigners called undecided voters in swing states. Others got on buses to help sway voters in Pennsylvania.

At the rally, many New York Republicans remained hopeful despite the forecast Obama victory.

“It’s getting really close, and I think people will really come out in the end for McCain,” said New York resident Cecile Dacudau, who was comforted by the turnout in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 5 to 1. “ I post things about him on my Facebook and people give me a hard time for it. People in this city think you’re nuts to be voting for McCain,” she said.

At the crack of dawn on Election Day, 44-year-old Aaron Cook headed to the polls in Bedford-Stuyvesant to vote for the first time.

“I didn’t think it was necessary,” Cook said. “I said ‘Why waste my time?’ But this time, I felt a little different. I felt maybe something could happen.”

With record numbers expected to vote in the presidential election, many Brooklynites showed up as the sun rose. Dozens joined Cook and as he lined up at the Cornerstone Sandy F. Ray Senior Housing Center.

“Getting up early this morning standing on line wasn’t a problem for me,” said Shara Martinez, 30, an Obama supporter and second-time voter. “I think it was a beautiful experience because I’m glad that we’re gonna get a president that can help [the country] and bring it back up to par where it once was before Bush came into office.”

Kanke Ikpi, 26, said that she was not bothered by the early morning. In fact, she said she had trouble sleeping Monday night because it felt like the day before Christmas.

“I’m really excited,” Ikpi said. “Hopefully, at the end of the day it goes the way I want it to go.”

Many voters shared her excitement as they exited the double doors of the senior center this morning.

“It’s been a very exciting, historical election for me,” said 18-year-old Terrell Johnson, a first- time voter who arrived at the center before it opened to voters at 6 a.m. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a while.”

Age: 39
Neighborhood: Brooklyn
Occupation: President
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Democratic

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Translation: Immigrants are very important to the U.S. If there is no immigrants in the United States, the country will collapse. If all the Americans prefer a job with $50-60 hourly payment, then who is going to work at an hour rate around $7? McDonald will have to be shut down. So without immigrant workers, there is no America.

The biggest challenge for both candidates is the economic recession. If they cannot rescue the economy from its turmoil, the society will be unstable. I’m a middle class voter, I think the tax policy of Obama will help the next four year’s economy recovery.

Jackline Oluoch can’t vote in the U.S. – but that hasn’t kept her from participating in the presidential election.

The Kenya native is a volunteer with Harlem for Obama. She recently joined the group on a voter-registration drive in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

“I like to convince people who have power to vote in this country to vote,” said Oluoch, 29, moved to the U.S. two and a half years ago to pursue a masters degree in health policy at New York University.