'This day feels exceptional'
Updated on 04 November 2008
Jon Snow is caught up in the excitement as Americans queue to elect "the leader of the free world".
How do you capture it? Voting stations are open right across the union. There are lines everywhere. The vastness of the continent and the time differences means that some places - like Hawaii, and Alaska too I think - have yet to open, but basically Americans are deciding the identity of the man we used to call the leader of the free world.
The only thing I can do is to tell you of my experience this morning, waking up in Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania. I made my way next door to the nearest polling station - it's in a Republican enclave (in an otherwise Obama-leaning city). There was no-one in line.
I found children as small as two who could say the word 'Obama'.
I then grabbed a cab with a fabulous Ghanaian driver, who took me to the districts where the lines are winding round the block. At voting station after voting station I found people from all strands of the rainbow.
The sense of excitement and of moment was palpable. People had brought their children, their chairs, their coffee, and at every station I found significant groups of Obama-ists carrying trays of water, cups of coffee, first aid kits and the rest.
A proud proprietor of a Portable toilet company was dropping off the necessities of life in mobile loo form at every station. She told me she was doing it across Philadelphia because she knew how long people would have to wait. I found children as small as two who could say the word "Obama".
I have reported America for more than half my life. And I will share with you that this day feels exceptional - however it ends.
And then the festive mood was broken as a man ran up to us, baying, "The machines are broken! The machines are broken! All three of them!" And immediately the woman from the loo company told him where the lawyers were. Calls were made, and we ran to the station where the machines had failed. 100 people waited as engineers came to fix them.
Voters are more than concerned that this system of machines, devoid of paper trail, is risky. And then, at another station, they were bemused that the only media who had come to see them had come all the way from London. "I've been to Leeds!" shouted an African-American.
Interestingly, Philadelphia feels like the Leeds of America. And although in this state that McCain must win in order to win the presidency, Obama seems to reign unchallenged, I never reached the suburbs where McCain is said to be strong.
Listen, I have lived in America. I have reported America for more than half my life. And I will share with you that this day feels exceptional - however it ends.
Tonight I'll be anchoring Channel 4 News from here. Sarah Smith is in Chicago with Obama. Jonathan Rugman is in Florida, and then heading to Arizona with McCain. We are at the beginning of a voyage that will end this time tomorrow with the certain knowledge of who WILL lead the western world (Editor: well, barring a repeat of what happened eight years ago, John).
