Kane Farabaugh's Kanestergram

For many people, casting a vote and waiting for the final announcement on election night marked an end to one of the longest and most expensive Presidential contests in U.S. history. For Barack Obama, it could be argued that his race for the White House began on the stage of the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004, during the nomination of John Kerry who unsuccessfully ran against George W. Bush. Obama, then running for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, was invited to give the keynote speech. Called “The Audacity of Hope,” the speech generated the kind of buzz that helped launch the Illinois State Senator on to the national political stage, and ultimately into the White House. For John McCain, it could also be argued his current run for the White House began in the winter of 2000, when he lost a bitterly fought primary race against George W. Bush in South Carolina. For me as a reporter covering this campaign, the journey begins almost a decade ago, in the bicycle and moped c...

... and not just because the city is lit up for tonight's Obama event. Indeed, several of the buildings in Chicago's skyline are decorated for the occasion. One skyscraper has U.S.A. lit by coordinating lights on floors and windows along its structure. Patriotism abounds in the Windy City, as Chicago is known. But the real electricity of this place is generated by the enthusiasm of the supporters who have gathered here to witness what they all hope will be a moment in history. It's a chance for many, including my friends Seth, Casey, and Mark, to say that they had a front row seat to one of the pivotal moments in American politics, perhaps American history. They have been waiting in line for almost six hours to get as close as they can to history in the making. They share a common bond with most everyone who has gathered here, to actively participate in that history in the making. Needless to say, it takes some kind of electricity (translate dedication) to wait it out a...

The weather in Chicago this morning is perfect. As the city looks to set a record for the warmest day on record in the month of November, that story will wind up being the least important one that emerges from Chicago by the end of the day, regardless of the outcome of today’s historic election. U.S. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., knows it. As I made my way along Grant Park and Michigan Avenue this morning to set up for one of the biggest stories to come to Chicago in decades, Congressman Jackson was pressing the flesh with voters, shaking hands with every person he passed. Along Roosevelt Road at the south end of the park, both vehicle and pedestrian traffic came to a standstill as the congressional candidate and close Barack Obama supporter took advantage of the warm weather to encourage people to get out and vote. I tried several times to see if I could get him to stop long enough to talk to Voice of America about today’s historic overtones, but in the end, Congressman Jackson k...