国际英语新闻:Americans Give Obama More Time

For the Romney campaign, the key issue in this election was the poor economy and continuing high rate of unemployment.  The national jobless rate stands at nearly eight percent, but President Obama argued that the economy is improving and that his administration has helped to create jobs.

In Chicago, the president said the nation's promise remains intact.  "I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggest," Obama added.  "We're not as cynical as the pundits believe.  We are greater than the sum or our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states referring to map designations of Democrats and Republican.  We are and forever will be the United States of America."

In congressional races, Republicans held onto their majority in the House of Representatives and Democrats maintained control of the Senate, making gains in  Indiana and other states.  In the Massachusetts senate race, Democrat Elizabeth Warren defeated Republican incumbent Scott Brown and in Virginia, Democrat incumbent Tim Kaine beat Republican George Allen.  In Maine, former governor Angus King, an independent, won the senate seat vacated by moderate Republican Olympia Snowe, who is retiring.

Voters around the country also decided more than 170 ballot measures, approving gay marriage in Maine and Maryland and endorsing the recreational use marijuana in Colorado and Washington, putting those states at odds with federal drug law.  In close races around the country, the counting of ballots continues.