The year 2008 was jolted by a rush of historic events. In the U.S., voters were absorbed by one of the most exciting presidential campaigns in recent history, as Arizona Senator John McCain weathered an apparent 2007 flame-out to capture the gop nomination for President, then startled the nation by naming the littleknown governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, as his running mate. A long, tense struggle between two Democrats, first-term Illinois Senator Barack Obama and New York Senator Hillary Clinton, ended in victory for Obama, who went on to make history on Nov. 4 when he beat McCain to become the first African American to win the presidency. The election was staged against a backdrop of ongoing crisis, as the U.S. and other nations were rocked by economic turmoil.
