“Our economy is recovering.
A decade of war is ending. A long
campaign is now over,” the triumphant president said before a roaring crowd of
thousands of supporters in Chicago.
Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, the Republican challenger, formally
conceded the race and extended his best wishes to the First Family.
“His supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations,”
Romney said. “I wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the
first lady and their daughters.”
Obama reaffirmed his commitment to working across party
lines to solve the nation’s problems. He also repeated the message of hope that
energized tens of millions of Americans to throw their support behind him in
2008 and, once again, in 2012.
“I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope,” Obama
said.