Madonna doesn't do anything small.
The Material Girl celebrated Barack Obama's victory Tuesday night with a glittering rally of her own, leading thousands of fans at her concert in San Diego with a rousing introduction to her song "Express Yourself."
In a video posted on YouTube, Madonna claps her hands and declares, "This is a historical evening! ... We are lucky to be sharing it with each other!"
Other celebrity supporters of Obama echo Madonna's good cheer.
Oprah Winfrey, who cried during the celebration in Chicago's Grant Park, told the TV show "The Insider": "I was so, so, so excited and then just sort of a calm came over me. It feels like it actually is kind of real, so it feels great."
Asked what this means for the country, she said, "It means democracy at its finest. It's just the best. We did this. America did this."
George Clooney said in a statement: "I congratulate President-elect Obama on his historic victory, and now it's time to begin unifying the country so we can take on the extraordinary challenges that this generation faces."
Actress Scarlett Johansson, who stumped for Obama throughout his campaign, said the "overwhelming hope that Obama inspires is infectious."
"I've always maintained a strong faith in the power of Obama's positive campaign and am so proud of every citizen who took a stand, participated in the political process and insisted their voices be heard," Johansson said in a statement.
Stars including Lindsay Lohan, Michael Moore and Kanye West posted messages online.
Reacting on her Myspace page, Lohan gushed, "OBAMA IS OUR PRESIDENT!" and said that everyone who voted, "no matter their choice ... should be proud for voting in the first place."
(Agencies/China Daily November 6, 2008)