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| Ludacris Launches Web Site, Drops Album Same Day As Kanye West Posted: 06 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST 'I'm rapping my heart out,' Atlanta-based MC says of upcoming Theater of the Mind.
Now that 50 Cent and Kanye West have moved their albums to separate release dates, how about a chart showdown between Kanye West and the man he produced the record "Stand Up" for, Ludacris? Say, 'Cris, what about exchanging dis records with a friend for some pre-hype? "On this particular record, if he was to send a dis song to me, he might be sending it in Auto-Tune," Luda laughed last week while promoting his Web site, WeMix.com. "Nah, man. For real, it's gonna be two great albums and I think what [Kanye] is doing is inspiring. People are looking for something new. From the songs I heard from him, I thought that's just what he was doing — new and interesting." Stating the obvious, Kanye and Luda will have two totally different-sounding albums that both drop on November 25. West sings on 808s & Heartbreak, and on Theater of he Mind, 'Cris has a clear mission: solidify himself again as one of the best on the mic. "I'm rapping my heart out," the Atlanta champion said. "It's an exciting day to go to retail. I feel like my album [is] such a presentation and far different from anything I've done. Every song is movie- or TV-based. It's not just audio, it's an experience." Theater of the Mind's standout track is definitely "I Do It for Hip-Hop," which features ... uh, co-stars Nas and Jay-Z. It's a collaboration Luda has been waiting his whole career for. "The best way I can explain that sh-- is that I feel like almost when you say, 'I've done that and can move on,' " Luda said of the collabo. "After doing a song with Nas and Jay-Z, I feel like a part of me is more complete than I was in hip-hop. I've always wanted to do something that extreme and historic in hip-hop. "This whole album is going to solidify me in your top five," he continued. "When I say, 'your top five,' I mean anybody who is reading or listening to this. It will solidify me in the top five. It's so many 16s on this. Then I got DJ Premier on a song called 'MVP.' I'm the first Southern artist on a DJ Premier beat that's on their album. Then you have 'The Last of a Dying Breed' with Lil Wayne. There's a song called 'Do the Right Thing' with me and Common and Spike Lee. There's so many 16s on there, taking it to the essence — I'm feeling hella complete." It feels like old Luda when you look at the new video for "One More Drink," as 'Cris has that vintage humor as he raps about getting drunk and hooking up with ladies — the thing is, though, when sober, he realizes that the women in question aren't as lovely as they were when he was inebriated. One even turns out to be a real wolf that devours his arm. Katt Williams and the song's co-star, T-Pain, are in the clip as well. "What Them Girls Like" and "Undisputed" are the other two videos from the upcoming album. Over at his new Web site, Luda is holding a contest where up-and-coming MCs can actually win the chance to appear on a remix of "Undisputed" — all they have to do is call a number provided by WeMix.com and spit 16 bars of that hot fire. "We do contests all the time on WeMix.com," he explained. "A lot of people don't necessarily have the means to record [and send in demos], so some can just call and kick the a cappella — the actual 16s — just getting back the essence of what rap is about." Luda says that he doesn't quite know what type of rapper he's looking for; he just knows they have to be dope. "It's one of those things that you know when you hear it," he added. "I don't wanna say they have to do specifically metaphors or punch lines, even though that's what I had to do on that particular song 'Undisputed.' As long as somebody just does them, that's more important. I want people to be like themselves." A winner for the "Undisputed" contest will be announced toward the end of the month on WeMix. Related Artists |
| Kanye West, Usher, Rick Ross, More React To Barack Obama's Historic Victory Posted: 05 Nov 2008 09:12 AM PST Fat Joe, Nick Cannon, Young Jeezy also celebrate the new president-elect.
The hip-hop community was one of, if not the cross section of people most vocal about their diligent support of Barack Obama. For many, including 18-year-old Soulja Boy Tell'em, 36-year-old Busta Rhymes, not to mention Juelz Santana, Maino, Bow Wow and Nas, Tuesday marked their first time voting. Others, such as Diddy, Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z, worked tirelessly both online and in person, encouraging people to get out to the polls. Young Jeezy made a tremendous record called "My President," while Will.I.Am wrote a trio of proudly pro-Obama tracks. Their faith paid off when Obama was announced the president-elect. "Obama!" Fat Joe yelled, watching the news of the Illinois senator's win from his home in Miami. Joe was shaking in his chair like a little kid. "That Latino vote!"
"It's just incredible to know that Barack Obama is our president," Usher told MTV News. "Can I say this? The coolest sh-- ever!" Kanye West acknowledged the win on his blog, posting an image of the senator under the headline "Hi Mom, Obama Won!" "The vision of the hip-hop generation and its young people is in full and glorious effect tonight," Russell Simmons said in a statement released to MTV News Tuesday night. "While many older Americans, who marched and struggled so hard so Senator Obama could run for president of the United States, never dared to believe in his candidacy's real potential, young people, particularly the hip-hop community, had faith, and their imagination became our reality. "Obama's election as president is a beautiful testament to the American collective consciousness that is flowering," the statement continued. "This more loving consciousness will be necessary to protect us from some of our hurtful human choices and tendencies. We will need it to create balance with the constantly emerging advances in technology so, going forward, we can use these advances in a positive way to lift up Mother Earth and all her inhabitants." "This is my proudest day as an American," Nick Cannon said via e-mail. "We have elected a leader that represents change and unity. Barack Obama has carved his place in history as a true beacon of hope!" Even artists from outside the country were eager to share their reactions. "I am ecstatic!" Estelle told us in an e-mail. "I just got the news arriving in the U.K. I'm so proud of Americans for making that change happen!!! Let's go towards a great new future!!!!" Rick Ross has been persevering through the tragic loss of his friend and business partner record exec Shakir Stewart for the past few days, but he found hope once again through the election results. He was so pleased and overwhelmed with Obama's win on Tuesday, he was at a very rare loss for words. "I'm just ... to be honest, I'm speechless," he said. "I think we all should be. It's time for action. I'm one of the people that really think life can be a mind game at times. To see this obstacle that us, as men of color, have overcome. ... There are a lot of mind games that people played on us, or we used as an excuse for not being successful. I think the picture that Barack will paint for black males will be phenomenal. [The world] is finnin' to see us as being compassionate, as far as being leaders, as far as having the potential to be great as president." The Boss also commended Obama's acceptance speech. "He showed his level of class," Ross opined. "He commended John McCain. He thanked his team, his political adviser for putting together maybe the best campaign in the history of the presidential race. I would say he has the support of the people. One of the lines that touched me the most was when he said it doesn't make sense for Wall Street to be on top and Main Street suffering more than ever. That's the nerve of the problem in the United States for the past few years." "My president is black," Jeezy triumphantly told MTV News via e-mail upon hearing of the Obama victory. The Atlanta native — who, as recently as Sunday, was on the phone working with the Obama camp to encourage registered voters to get out to the polls — was going out to celebrate. Jeezy has a video for "My President" coming out in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, Nas dropped a mini song called "Election Night" on Tuesday. He recorded it in the early morning of November 4 while on tour in Norway. Will.I.Am will release his latest Obama song and video, "It's a New Day," on Wednesday (November 5). MTV News was on the ground in all 50 states to cover this historic election, and now we want to hear from you! Share your voting experience and your reaction to the results in the comments area below, upload video at yourhere.mtv.com, or text VOTE to 66333 with your first name, age, state and comment. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Lance Bass Talks 'NSYNC Reunion, Britney Spears Comeback, Jonas Brothers Advice Posted: 06 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST 'I think our fans would love it,' the 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant says of getting boy band back together.
Lance Bass is ready to party like it's 1999. That means several things for the boy-bander-turned-"Dancing With the Stars" contestant. For one thing, he would be more than happy to hit the road with his old bandmates in 'NSYNC. "There's always a possibility for a tour or reunion. It's something that we really haven't discussed yet," he told MTV News. "But it's something I would love to talk about. I think it's maybe needed in the next year or so, and I think our fans would love it, 'cause we never got to say goodbye. I want to do the Boyz II Men thing, where we just sit on the stools," he joked.
And it wouldn't be like the good old days if former tourmate Britney Spears weren't about to put out fresh music. Bass is all about her return. "I am totally stoked to see Britney come back," he said. "I think it's going to be one of the biggest comebacks you've ever seen. It's not even a comeback — she's always been around — but I think, personally, she's ready to explode again." Bass thinks this is a good time for Spears to return to the spotlight because, he says, it's as good a time as ever to be a pop artist. "Everyone wants to have fun with music again, and she always makes it fun," he said. "I think the last two years was a just a scam, so that she can make a huge comeback. I want to believe it was a big old punk on us." There is, of course, a huge resurgence in pop music right now, with Miley Cyrus, the "High School Musical" gang and the Jonas Brothers topping the charts. And seeing the Jonases reign as pop gods is déjà vu for Bass. "It's funny to see what they're going through now, 'cause it totally reminds me of my 'NSYNC days. I know exactly what they're going to do," he said. "I can warn them. And it was funny to see all the people around them [when the JoBros were on 'Dancing With the Stars'], 'cause they were all the exact same people who worked with us. It was the first time I got to see them perform, and I was really impressed. They're really good kids." Bass does have some simple advice for the trio, being that he's been there and done that himself: "As long as you keep it in the family and have fun and keep it down-to-earth, they'll be just fine." He added that if 'NSYNC were to try and make it in today's pop-music world alongside the Jonas Brothers, he has no doubt they'd once again be a hot pop commodity. "We'd be leading the pack right now. I think 'NSYNC would definitely fit in today's music scene," he said. "And with Britney coming back and Christina and Eminem ... we're going to have a whole late-'90s resurgence. It's going to be great." But at the end of the day, Bass is ready to try something new. Although he'll be busy with the "Dancing With the Stars" tour in the winter, he admits that he's not afraid to go out on a limb — which is why he's done everything from pop music to Broadway to movies to, of course, an attempt at space travel. "I like to challenge myself, that's for sure. I get bored very easily, which is why I like to do things out of the ordinary, like going to space," he explained. "I don't know what's next. Who knows, but [I'll] definitely not retire. I think I want to try the TV thing after this and try some acting." Related Artists |
| Britney Spears Beats The Paparazzi At Their Own Game With 'PapaRAZZIE' Awards Posted: 05 Nov 2008 01:30 AM PST New post on singer's Web site features photographer making a fool of himself.
As you may know, Britney Spears has had a long and complex relationship with the paparazzi. In fact, it's unusual not to see her tailed by a mob of cameras as she undertakes scintillating activities like going to Starbucks for her morning latte. The relationship has been both symbiotic — she's been known to befriend them and invite them along on her outings — and antagonistic (for pretty much the same reasons). Well, it's payback time — good-natured payback, anyway. A video posted on BritneySpears.com on Monday finds Britney turning the tables on the paps and beating them at their own game. In what is apparently a weekly series, we see a gaggle of photographers following Britney through what looks like a hotel lobby — and one of them not only topples over backward, tripping over a planter box to hilarious effect, it's then replayed in slow-motion. The camera turns to Britney, who's laughing, and a friend, who says to the camera, "Did you get that?" The text above the video reads: "BritneySpears.com would like to award this week's PapaRAZZIE for Special Achievements in Walking Backwards." The name, of course, is a really pretty clever play on the Golden Raspberry — or "Razzie" — Award Foundation, that "honors" the worst movies-related moments. Past Razzie winners include Eddie Murphy for "Worst Actor" in "Norbit" and Lindsay Lohan (with herself) for "Worst Onscreen Couple" in "I Know Who Killed Me." Payback's a bi---, eh paps? Related Artists |
| Youth Voter Turnout Up 2.2 Million From 2004 Election Posted: 05 Nov 2008 12:36 AM PST Preliminary estimates show between 21.6 million and 23.9 million young Americans voted.
According to tabulations from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) young voters may have made all the difference in this year's presidential election. CIRCLE reports that the turnout for young Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 rose by at least 2.2 million from 2004's election. While exact data is still being compiled, CIRCLE estimates that between 21.6 million and 23.9 million young Americans voted in Tuesday's election — a figure based on national exit polls, demographic data and projections of total numbers of votes cast. The group, which promotes research on the civic and political engagement of Americans between the ages of 15 and 25, projects the youth voter turnout to be between 49.3 and 54.5 percent, which represents an increase of 1 to 6 percentage points over CIRCLE's estimate based on the 2004 exit polls. "From a nonpartisan perspective, it is heartening to see young people so motivated and engaged in a national election," CIRCLE director Peter Levine said in a press release. "Young Americans are also involved in community service at record rates. We must build on the momentum from this election to find ways to keep them civically engaged. It is also critical that those who did not vote for Barack Obama or who did not vote at all, will feel included in politics, government and community affairs." As of noon on Wednesday (November 5), about 120 million votes had been counted, although many states had not yet reported all of their precincts. The youth turnout — if preliminary estimates hold — could end up being the second-highest since 1972, when 55.4 percent of eligible voters aged 18 to 29 hit the polls. As the numbers currently stand, young voters account for about 18% of the election's total ballot-casters. CIRCLE claims young voters favored Obama over John McCain by a two-to-one margin. "Yesterday, more young people voted than in any election since 18-year-olds won the right to vote in 1972," Rock the Vote Executive Director Heather Smith said. "This is truly a remarkable moment; young people have spoken and elected the next president. No longer can pundits and politicians say we don't vote. The face of our democracy is forever changed and young people have shown the world we are taking our country into our own hands." MTV News was on the ground in all 50 states to cover this historic election, and now we want to hear from you! Share your voting experience and your reaction to the results in the comments area below, upload video at yourhere.mtv.com, or text VOTE to 66333 with your first name, age, state and comment. Related Videos |
| Chris Cornell Compares Timbaland To Pink Floyd, Promises 'Cinematic Video' For 'Scream' Posted: 06 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST 'I just really didn't know how much is possible in the musical spectrum until I met Timbaland,' singer says of their collaboration.
After working with Timbaland on his forthcoming album, Scream, Chris Cornell has realized something about himself: He doesn't need a band behind him to create great songs. That's why the former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman has made the decision to continue working solo for the foreseeable future.
According to Cornell, working with the producer du jour has been an eye-opening experience in more ways than one. "There's this concept that, as a songwriter and a singer, I can't do it without a band," he explained. "This Timbaland/ Chris Cornell album is a perfect example of why I want to be solo. [I've learned that] there's so much, musically, that I haven't done. I've barely scratched the surface, and I have a lot of catching up to do. I feel like I want to fast-forward into my future of musical expression, because there are just so many different things I haven't done yet." Cornell recorded Scream's 13 tracks with Timbaland over a six-week period, working only at night. He said they would hit the studio at 1 a.m. and record until sunrise. It was all very new to Cornell, who praised Tim's production on the disc. "Timbaland's diversity — in terms of his feels, the ideas he brought in, the beats, the rhythms, the musical themes and auras of the different songs — was incredible," he said. "His focus was very much, 'I don't repeat myself, and I won't let you repeat yourself.' Being someone that writes songs mainly from an organic platform, I just really didn't know how much is possible in the musical spectrum until I met Timbaland. What he brought in, every day, was a surprise. He would surprise me with ideas he would bring in or ideas he was working on every time. Timbaland's music, coming from someone like me who started in rock music, I view it as being psychedelic music more than hip-hop, more than pop, more than beat-based music. It's atmospheric, like Pink Floyd is atmospheric — he creates a sonic world that you get lost in, and you listen to it and you start to trip out." While there is still no official release date for Scream, Cornell has been getting ready to tour in support of the disc. He plans to play the whole thing live, from front to back, in one continuous hour of beat-driven rock, because to him, the album is one big song. "I've been rehearsing this as a musical piece that's an hour long," he said. "I've been rehearsing it with an entire band, and it's kind of taken on a new life. Something happens to a song when you play it live — it sort of transforms over time. And to have a whole album with these different musical interludes and these different mood changes in between the songs ... to perform that whole thing live, it's kind of transformed into this living, breathing animal, which isn't something I expected. It's challenging, but it's really fresh." Cornell has also shot a video for the album's title track, with director Alan Ferguson (Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes ). Filmed in Orange, California, last month, the clip reflects the feel of the album, he said. "The idea Alan had for the video, which is pretty ingenious, is sort of capturing the two moods of the music," he said. "There's kind of two things going on. It's a record that's 111 beats per minute, which is fast. But the music and lyrics and the vocals are actually kind of slow and relaxed and flowing over this beat that's pretty uptempo and kind of chaotic and excited. The way Alan's shot the video, he's shooting both at the same time. My role in the video is performing the song in super-slow-motion, where I'm existing in this Zen-like world, singing these song lyrics and everything going on around me is super-fast, super-chaotic, and I'm just suspended in it. It's a filmic piece that has something to say about the song lyrics and the feel of the music. It's going to be very much a cinematic video." Related Artists |
| Brandy Says She's 'Older, Wiser' And Ready For A Comeback In Music And TV Posted: 06 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST After a four-year break, the singer took a more hands-on approach to writing Human.
Long before Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, there was Brandy. The actress/singer grew up in the public eye, hitting the music scene as a teenager and scoring hit singles, Grammy nominations, a sitcom and a slew of movie roles. Now 29, Brandy has the same motivation she did at 15 when she enters a recording studio: She just wants to make good music that people enjoy. She says her new album, Human, dropping in December, tells stories that people can relate to. "I've always taken my albums very, very seriously," she told MTV News. "I like to put together a collection of songs that will last 20 years down the line," she said. "With this album, I've just evolved. I'm older, I'm wiser. I wanted to reflect that." In the past, Brandy usually relied on others to write her songs, but she decided that this time around, she wanted to make it a more collaborative effort. "I worked with Brian Kennedy, who had two #1 singles," she said. "I also wrote a song with Natasha Bedingfield and Toby Gad, who wrote 'If I Were a Boy.' I don't write that much, and these people brought out a great writer in me. Of course, you have songs that other people write that you can relate to, but when you write it yourself, it just feels like it truly came from you." She was especially eager to talk about one partnership in particular. "I'm really excited about the Rodney Jerkins collaboration, 'Right Here (Departed), ' " she said of the album's first single. "We've been working together for years, and we didn't work together on my last project, so this feels like a reunion. I can't go wrong with Rodney. I love the vibes." The album's second single is "Long Distance," about the difficulties of long-distance relationships. "Whether it's a significant other or your daughter, a lot of people are away from the people they love," she said. "I met some lady, and she was telling me her husband is away in Iraq right now. I was like, 'I have the perfect song for you.' Just being in a long-distance relationship, that experience is weird. You're not able to have that time, and you need that time. "I do have that with my daughter right now because I'm not dating anyone," Brandy added. "I try to keep my mind focused and know I'm doing everything for her. I have to talk to her, like, 20 times a day." Brandy is not only looking to get back into the music scene after a noticeable absence (her last LP, Afrodisiac, was released in 2004), the former "Moesha" star is also looking to reclaim a spot on prime-time TV. "That's my thing. I love playing one character every week and having the audience grow with my character," she said. "That was so fun, even though reality [TV] is taking over the world. With a good solid show it can work again. I think it's what I'm here to do as well. "Reality is not for me," she continued. "I don't think I'm that interesting. I need to play someone else." And although she's accomplished a lot already, Brandy still has one dream left: to win an Oscar. She even has the project in mind to get her that statue, a remake of "Lady Sings the Blues." "I would have to play so many different roles in that one role — I would have to bring it," she said. "And you have to live up to Diana Ross, but Diana played my mom once in a movie. I would go to her to study her." But by now, Brandy has learned that the best things in life come when you least expect them. "I've been off for four years," she said. "I have no reason to be complaining. I just can't wait. It feels like the beginning of my career. I just let things happen in my life. Some guy said in the elevator today, 'Expect nothing, and you will have no disappointment.' " Related Artists |
| Will Barack Obama's Inauguration Be The Star-Studded Affair His Victory Party Wasn't? Posted: 04 Nov 2008 10:08 PM PST Inaugural ceremony takes place on January 20, 2009.
The presidential inauguration is an event that's about as close to a royal coronation as American government gets. It's a day filled with ceremony, guards, salutes, parades, speeches, a party that's actually still called a "ball" and, of course, symbolism: of new beginnings, rites of passage, of change. It's the president's opportunity to declare his administration's intent: At John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961, he made his legendary "Ask not what not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country" speech. It's also an opportunity for surreal mismatches, as anyone who remembers the sight of President George W. Bush dancing awkwardly next to Ricky Martin during the 2001 inaugural celebrations can attest. (Several years later, Martin extended his middle finger when singing a lyric including Bush's name during a concert, which he later said was a comment on the war in Iraq.)
The historic nature of Barack Obama's presidency — not to mention his oratorical abilities — guarantees that his inauguration on January 20, 2009, will be one for the ages. Until that day, Obama will not be president; he'll be president-elect, meaning that the people have voted him in power, but he hasn't taken office. While the lag between election and inauguration was originally designed to allow for travel in pre-rapid-transit days, it has since become the sitting president's opportunity to finish up his term and/or tidy up his office (literally or metaphorically) — and, of course, issue last-minute pardons. The inauguration usually takes place at noon on the steps of the west front of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., an appointee of outgoing President Bush, will oversee the changing of the guard by administering the oath, which traditionally is done on a Bible. Also present will be members of the U.S. armed forces, since the president is also commander-in-chief. Joe Biden, the vice president-elect, will take his oath first, in the same ceremony. A band will play "Hail to the Chief," the infantry guard will give a 21-gun salute, and then Obama will make his inaugural address — his first speech to the country as president. The United States Congress then will invite Obama and Biden to lunch, after which Obama will parade down from the Capitol to the White House. And after all this pomp and circumstance, it's party time. Inaugural celebrations can last up to five days after the initial ceremony, but the most anticipated one is the Inaugural Ball — tickets, which are available on various ticket Web sites at exorbitant prices, are going fast. The official inauguration Web site unhelpfully says: "Tickets for the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony will be distributed to constituents in January 2009 by both Senators and Representatives of Congress of the 111th Congress." It seems likely that the events surrounding the inauguration will be the kind of star-studded affair that Obama's victory celebration Tuesday night was not. The day before the election, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Obama campaign had asked some of its famous supporters to stay away from Tuesday's rally. Although the campaign is reportedly grateful for the high-profile support, several prominent celebs had reportedly been asked "politely but very firmly" to skip the rally — and focus on attending the Obama inauguration. An Obama insider reportedly told the newspaper's Bill Zwecker that Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Sean "Diddy" Combs (who was surrounded by media, including MTV News, when he voted Tuesday), Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Ben Affleck were among those asked to stay away. "There really only needs to be one star in Grant Park, and that's Barack," the insider reportedly said. "There will be plenty of time for a new President Obama to be surrounded by famous fans, all hopeful about a new administration." So either way, on January 20 our nation's capital looks to be filled with A-listers of every stripe. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Young Voters Share Their Reactions: 'I Picked The President! That Was Me!' Posted: 04 Nov 2008 11:14 PM PST As Democrats celebrate, one Republican jokes, 'Best case scenario is that Obama suddenly becomes a conservative.'
MTV News' Street Team '08 members were on hand to witness the excitement Tuesday night, when it was announced that Barack Obama would be the 44th president of the United States. Parties across the country could've been mistaken for New Year's Eve celebrations, if not for the chants of "Yes we can!" and "Obama!" As Virginia Commonwealth University students ran through the streets, yelling and lighting firecrackers, Street Teamer Lauren Compton called it "mayhem" and "an emotional thing to watch," adding, "It just goes to show you that your vote counts, that your voice counts."
One of these excited voters told her, "I voted early absentee on Saturday. I was too excited for this election." When asked about the prospect of achieving unity in the U.S., he said, "I think we can definitely come together because he has so many [people] supporting him. ... I think people are going to do the right thing now that he's in office." Sarah Phillips told Florida correspondent Anthony Wojtkowiak, "It's probably the most excited I've ever been in my entire life. I seriously think I had an emotional seizure or something. My whole body seized up. I couldn't breathe. It's like I really mattered. ... I picked the president! That was me! ... I think I'm in love with America right now!" Of course, some voters didn't have much to celebrate. Before the election was called, University of Pennsylvania student and Republican Peter told Pennsylvania Street Teamer Cassidy Hartmann that he was disappointed in how McCain was doing: "It's not going well. ... I'm going to be frank with you — clearly we knew he wasn't going to win Pennsylvania, but the fact that he did tighten up polls in the last week or so, it did give us hope." He added, "Best case scenario is that Obama suddenly becomes a conservative." One young voter, Mary from Indiana, told Alex Damron that by voting, she had a personal hand in determining this year's election. "I just felt very inspired, and I feel like this is the change and motivation we needed as a country to get us out of this funk. ... It's really going to make a change, especially the younger generation. ... It's ours. We accomplished this," she said. "Yes we can. That's probably what I say every day when I'm frustrated, but it's true." But it wasn't just people out at election parties who felt the need to share their reactions with us. On MTVNews.com, commenters from all political backgrounds shared their opinions. Although most reactions — whether good or bad — were visceral, some were especially over the top. Glam_Balam wrote, "We're Doomed," and wereallgonnadie said, "He shouldn't be president!!!!!!!!!!!! ... What about experience? Something Obama doesn't have!" Meanwhile, McCain supporter Crites06 took a calmer approach to the Obama win, writing, "I will not sit here and bash Obama. I listened to his campaigns and realized how good he was at inspiring people and making them believe in him. He even had me going for a minute. I pray that he will be great for this country, but that will remain to be seen." On the opposite end of the spectrum, Paloma said, "I am so excited that Obama won!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never been prouder to be an American. Yes We Can! To all those haters, I can't wait until Obama proves you wrong when he leads this country to a better place. Skin doesn't mean anything. Obama has heart, passion, experience and hope to make this country the best it has ever been. Go Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "And knock this racist nonsense off, don't judge him based on his skin," alohaserveddaily said. "It's his brains that count. He's an intelligent man and I believe he will accomplish many amazing things for our country." One MTV commenter, Íaliey, couldn't have been happier to see Obama win, but also gave props to his opponents. She said, "Whoa! We got him to be president!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had my house egged and had bricks thrown at it because we had Obama on our lawn!!! We love you, like, forever!!! But yeah, no offense to McCain and Palin — they did an amazing job too." MTV News was on the ground in all 50 states to cover this historic election, and now we want to hear from you! Share your voting experience and your reaction to the results in the comments area below, upload video at yourhere.mtv.com, or text VOTE to 66333 with your first name, age, state and comment. Related Videos |
| Posted: 04 Nov 2008 11:44 PM PST Democrats gain five Senate seats, two anti-abortion measures defeated.
The 2008 election is over, and while much of the nation has been focused on Senator Barack Obama's election as the nation's first African-American president, several states hosted crucial local races that could end up shaping the course of American politics for years to come. Voters also weighed in on several important state ballot measures, including California's Proposition 8, which sought to amend the state's constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. Similar legislation was proposed in Florida and Arizona, and all were approved. With 95 percent of the state's votes tallied, California's Proposition 8 passed with 52 percent of the votes (close to 5.2 million); 48 percent of voters rejected the measure. At press time, groups opposing the measure said that with absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted, the result was still too close to call. In Florida, Proposition 2, known as the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, passed with 62 percent approval and only 38 percent voting against it. This amendment to the state's constitution will "protect marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife," while providing that "no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized." Arizona's Proposition 102, which will amend that state's constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman, was also approved by 56 percent of voters. And in Arkansas, gays and lesbians suffered another defeat, as a proposed ban on unmarried couples adopting or providing foster care for children passed with 57 percent voter approval. Democrats solidified their control of the Senate after Tuesday's election. They are set to occupy 56 of the 100 Senate seats, having wrested five from the Republicans. Perhaps the biggest Senate loss for the Republicans came in North Carolina, where Democrat Kay Hagan defeated incumbent Elizabeth Dole, the wife of former GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole. Hagan secured 53 percent of the vote, with Dole netting 44 percent. In Virginia, Democrat Mark Warner won retiring Republican John Warner's seat. The GOP also lost a seat in New Hampshire, where Democrat Jeanne Shaheen unseated incumbent John Sununu. With all of the precincts reporting in Minnesota, it appears that Republican incumbent Senator Norm Coleman defeated his opponent, former "Saturday Night Live" writer, comedian and radio host Al Franken, by about 700 votes (out of 2.4 million cast). Franken has challenged the results and, according to CNN, the Minnesota secretary of state has said that the state will likely hold its first recount in more than 40 years. New Yorkers approved a ballot measure to amend the state constitution so that any veteran disabled in wartime will get additional points on civil-service tests when applying for state or local government jobs. Close to 77 percent of voters approved the measure. In Colorado and South Dakota, voters rejected ballot measures that would have led to new abortion bans. The Colorado amendment sought to update the state's definition of "person" to include fertilized eggs, even before they are implanted in the uterus. That measure was defeated by 73 percent of voters. South Dakota voters denied an initiative that would have restricted all abortions statewide, except for those performed in cases of rape or incest or to protect the woman's health. The measure also would have penalized doctors who performed abortions with jail time and fines. The Colorado Civil Rights Initiative, which would have prohibited discrimination or preferential treatment by the state in public employment, public education and public contracting, effectively ending affirmative action there, was narrowly rejected. Washington voters approved an initiative modeled after Oregon's "Death With Dignity" law, allowing the terminally ill to be prescribed lethal medication they could self-administer. Meanwhile, Massachusetts approved a marijuana reform measure, which decriminalized possession of small amounts of the drug, and Michigan voters approved a ballot measure to allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, joining 12 other states with similar laws on the books. MTV News was on the ground in all 50 states to cover this historic election, and now we want to hear from you! Share your voting experience and your reaction to the results in the comments area below, upload video at yourhere.mtv.com, or text VOTE to 66333 with your first name, age, state and comment. Related Videos |
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