The re-elected President promised ‘the best is yet to come’ and paid tribute to his opponent Mitt Romney in soaring rhetoric after his landslide election win.
In a speech that saw a return to the soaring rhetoric he has become known for since his election in 2008, Obama said during the fierce campaign he had ‘listened and learned’ to the American people and it had ‘made him a better president and I will return to the White House more determined and inspired than ever’.
His voice going hoarse at times, he said: ‘progress comes in fits and starts’ and the road is littered with ‘difficult compromises’. But he said he enters the next four years with an ‘economy recovering, a decade of war ending and a long campaign is over.’
He thanked his wife and also paid tribute to his daughters Sasha and Malia who he said were ‘two smart beautiful young women, just like their mother’, but joked ‘one dog is probably enough’.
Romney had earlier called for America to ‘put the people before politics’ and warned, ‘At a time like this we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing.’ He added, ‘I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead this country in a different direction. But the nation chose another leader.’
Broadcast networks called the 2012 election for Obama as he swept the map with wins in the swings states of Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania,New Hampshire and Virginia while Florida still hung in the balance.
Obama scored a resounding electoral college win – despite predictions of one of the tightest finishes in history and the dogged insistence of Romney advisers that they were making gains all over the political battlefield.
Despite unemployment standing at 7.9 per cent and Obama performing very poorly during the first presidential debate, Romney was crushed nationally, though he might finish only just behind in the popular vote.
Minutes after his victory was announced, the President tweeted: ‘We’re all in this together. That’s how we campaigned, and that’s who we are. Thank you.’ He also posted a picture of himself embracing his wife Michelle - and the post rapidly became the most popular tweet of all time.
He took to the stage at his campaign headquarters in Chicago to deliver a powerful speech looking towards the future, saying: ‘We know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come.’
Obama thanked the citizens who had participated in the political process: ‘Whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference.’
He revealed he that speaking to Romney, he ‘congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hardfought campaign’, adding a tribute to the Romney family’s history, saying: From George and Lenore to their son Mitt the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service and that is a legacy that we honour and applaud tonight.’
Referring to the bitterness of the long-running election campaign, the President said, ‘When we go through tough times – when we go through tough decisions as a country – it necessarily provokes arguments, provokes controversy,’ but he added: ‘These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty.’
Romney called Obama to concede defeat shortly before 1am, a few minutes before he took to take the stage at his Boston headquarters to deliver his gracious concession speech and announced, ‘I have just called the President to congratulate him on his victory.’
He thanked his family for their support, saying his wife Ann ‘would have been a wonderful First Lady’, and also praised his running mate Paul Ryan: ‘Besides my wife Ann, Paul is the best choice I’ve ever made.’
He then concluded his short speech by saying: ‘Thank you and God bless America. You guys are the best - thank you so much.’
After Obama spoke to Romney, he immediately called former President Bill Clinton, one of his most important supporters whose speech to the Democratic convention in September was credited with giving the campaign a significant boost.
While both campaigns and their teams of lawyers were steeling themselves for an all-night nail-biter and possibly even protracted legal disputes over recounts and disputed ballots, the evening effectively ended at 11.15pm when Ohio fell.
It looked likely that Obama would prevail in Colorado and Nevada while Florida and Virginia also appeared on the brink of just toppling his way. That would leave North Carolina, a traditionally Republican state that Obama won by just 14,000 votes in 2008, as the only swing state to be captured by Romney.
Obama’s huge margin of victory belied his slender lead in the national popular vote. By midnight he was in fact a few thousand votes behind Romney, though results in the Pacific appeared likely to push the President slightly over the edge in the final analysis.
There were jubilant scenes at Chicago’s McCormick Place convention centre where the President was expected to speak shortly before a star-studded party featuring Stevie Wonder, Mary J Blige, Ashley Judd, Melanie Griffith and Will.i.Am.
Meanwhile, there were grim faces on the supporters of Romney in Boston where the buzz of hopeful expectation hope among the crowd soon turned to a shocked and deflated silence as the disastrous results rolled in.
As the worst of the results came in, including a loss in the neighboring swing state of New Hampshire, the campaign even turned off TV news inside headquarter, thought they were back on not long later.
Romney was playing with his grandchildren and watching election returns from a nearby waterfront hotel room as thousands of supporters anxiously awaited the results in Florida, Ohio and Virginia.
‘Near total silence in Romney ballroom. If I spoke loudly, people would look up at me in the rafters, giving me the stink eye,’ tweeted National Journal reporter Robert Costa from inside headquarters.
The first swing states called by TV networks were Wisconsin and New Hampshire – and both of them went to Obama, closing off several of Romney’s potential paths to victory.
One crumb of comfort for the Republican candidate came in North Carolina, the most right-leaning swing state, which the networks called for him four hours after polls closed there.
However, Obama sealed victory when he scored wins in Iowa, Nevada, Colorado and above all Ohio, which has long been considered the key to the White House. He was later declared the winner by a slim margin in Virginia too.
Networks projected wins for Romney in Texas, Kentucky, Indiana, South Carolina, Missouri, Georgia, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, and Utah.
Meanwhile Obama was projected to take California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, Maryland, New Mexico, Hawaii and the District of Columbia.
Democrats were predicted to keep their majority in the Senate, while the Republicans were set to hold on to the House – meaning that the next two years will see continued gridlock and divided government, with both parties struggling to push through their legislative priorities.
Jumping for joy: Obama fans Shauna Harry and Alana Hearn celebrate the President’s re-election
Emotion: An Obama supporter in Nevada breaks down with happiness as other are jubilant
Party: New York Democrats cannot contain their excitement at Obama’s election victoryTurnout seems to have been unusually high this year, with long queues at many polling stations as passionate voters were finally given the chance to express their views after what has been an especially bitter campaigning season.
There were some complaints of voter suppression and intimidation, with polling stations staffed by partisan observers and sometimes festooned with posters supporting one side or the other.
Romney spent election day in a frenetic final dash of campaigning in Ohio and in Pennsylvania while Obama took time out to play basketball in Chicago with aides and close friends.
The first polls closed at 7pm EST - most significantly in Virginia, but also in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Vermont.
At 7.30, two more swing states finished voting – North Carolina, which is believed to lean towards Romney, and Ohio, where many people predict the election will be won or lost.
New Hampshire and Pennsylvania followed at 8, with Colorado and Wisconsin closing at 9 and Iowa and Nevada at 10. The final polls in Alaska close at 1am EST on Wednesday.
Overwhelmed: Delighted Obama supporters in Kansas wept with happiness on Tuesday night
Victory: Jesse Jackson celebrated wins for President Obama and his son, Rep. Jesse Jackson JrBig names in the Republican Party, including House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, held on to their congressional seats easily as the party was set to keep control of the House of Representatives.
Paul Ryanwas also re-elected as a congressman following a campaign he conducted at the same time as serving as Mitt Romney’s running mate.
On the Democratic side, controversial congressman Jesse Jackson Jrcruised to re-election despite spending most of the year in rehab following a struggle with depression, and declining to appear at any campaign events.
The Kennedy family also looked set to return to power as Joseph Kennedy III took the House seat in Massachusetts formerly held by long-serving congressman Barney Frank.
The Democrats also looked set to hold on to control of the Senate, as hard-fought races in Massachusetts and Connecticut led to victories for Elizabeth Warren, who unseated Scott Brown, and for Chris Murphy in his battle against former wrestling boss Linda McMahon.
Two of the most controversial GOP Senate candidates, Todd Akin in Missouri and Richard Mourdock in Indiana, lost their races following highly publicised remarks about rape.
Akin claimed that victims of ‘legitimate rape’ could not get pregnant, while Mourdock argued that pregnancies resulting from rape were ‘something that God intended’. The former lost to Claire McAskill, while the latter was defeated by Joe Donnelly.
Letdown: Romney supporters looked increasingly nervous throughout the evening as he headed to defeat
Loss: A Republican supporter slumps on the floor of Romney’s planned victory rally
Shock: Romney fans see the bad news roll in to campaign headquarters in BostonSpeaking to a radio station in Richmond, Virginia earlier on Tuesday, Romney said: ‘I can’t imagine an election being won or lost by, let’s say, a few hundred votes and you spent your day sitting around.
‘I mean, you’d say to yourself, “Holy cow, why didn’t I keep working?” And so I’m going to make sure I never have to look back with anything other than the greatest degree of satisfaction on this whole campaign.’
Yet Romney seemed confident of his chances, predicting a ‘very solid win tonight’ as he spoke on MMAL radio in Washington.
‘I’m going to win but I can’t tell which state is going to be the one that puts me over the edge,’ he said, adding that internal polls suggested he had solid support in Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
He wrote a 1,118-word victory speech on Tuesday as he concluded his quest for the presidency claiming he had no regrets.
Queue: Long lines were seen at Florida polling stations even after they had officially closed
Patience: The huge turnout surprised polling stations and led to delays in voting
Staying
positive: President Barack Obama calls volunteers in Wisconsin as he
visits a campaign office in Chicago, Illinois, on election day
Joy: Obama supporters celebrate as good news rolls in to campaign headquarters in Chicago‘I feel like we put it all on the field. We left nothing in the locker room. We fought to the very end, and I think that’s why we’ll be successful,’ Romney told reporters aboard his plane as he flew from Pittsburgh to Boston.
After a day playing basketball, Obama enjoyed dinner with his family in his hometown of Chicago, before a huge A-list party - intended to be a victory party – set to take place in the early hours of the morning.
Controversy raged on the internet over a voting machine in Pennsylvania which appeared to reject votes for Obama. Some claimed dirty tricks on the part of the Republicans, but in fact the blunder appeared to be caused by a technical bug and the machine was soon taken out of service.
After voting in Belmont, Massachusetts, Romney flew to Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to meet campaign workers and garner local media coverage in the hope of driving up turnout before returning for an election night event in Boston.
At the polling station, Mitt and Ann Romney, accompanied by their son Tagg, were greeted by cries of ‘Romney! Romney!’ and a sign reading: ‘Mitt and Ann enjoy your new White House.’ Asked who he voted for, Romney replied: ‘I think you know.’
Ready: Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan gesture to supporters and campaign workers in Richmond Heights, Ohio on Tuesday afternoon
Confident? Mitt Romney takes the last flight of his presidential campaign on the way to his headquarters in Boston
Awkwardly,
after Romney arrived in Cleveland, Vice President Joe Biden’s plane
Air Force Two landed for a surprise visit while he was on the runway. Romney stayed on his plane until Biden had departed. Then Paul Ryan, the Republican vice-presidential candidate landed and the two men on the Republican ticket were able to greet each other on the tarmac.
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