Now make them count! Obama routs Romney to win four more years in the White House

• Obama wins re-election after holding on to key swing states including Ohio
  
• Networks declare President the winner soon after 11pm despite predictions election could be historically close
• Obama delivers soaring address in Chicago, saying he is 'more determined and inspired than ever'
• Romney urges American unity as he pays tribute to wife and running mate in gracious concession speech
• Two more years of government gridlock expected as Democrats keep control of Senate and Republicans hold House
• President crushed his GOP challenger in the electoral college, winning at least 309 votes to Romney's 206
• Popular vote much closer, 50.2 percent to 48.2 percent with 117million votes counted

Barack Obama called for unity and set out an optimistic vision of America's future this morning in a rousing acceptance speech after he defeated Mitt Romney to win another four years as President of the United States.
He promised 'the best is yet to come' and said the fierce battle with Romney had made him a better president, vowing: 'I will return to the White House more determined and inspired than ever’.
In a speech that saw a return to the soaring rhetoric he has become known for since his election in 2008, Obama said he had ‘listened and learned’ from the American people during his campaign.

With 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 paid tribute to his opponent and hopes they can 'work together in the coming weeks'. This bipartisanship had been echoed by Romney moments earlier during his concession speech.
Romney 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.'
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Four more years: Barack Obama delivered a powerful acceptance speech early on Wednesday morning in Chicago

Together: Michelle, Sasha, Barack and Malia Obama celebrate the President's victory on stage

Helping hand: Obama embraces Vice President Joe Biden on stage at his Chicago headquarters

Commander in chief: Obama was elected by the country to serve another four years in the White House

Broadcast networks called the 2012 election for Obama at 11.15pm as he swept the map with wins in the swing states of Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Virginia. Florida still hung in the balance this morning, though the president had a very narrow lead there, as well.
The 100 percent of precincts reporting, Obama had an advantage of 46,000 votes -- though news outlets were hesitant to declare him the winner in the Sunshine State, which has a notoriously close election history.
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.
He looked set to win either 332 or 303 electoral college votes, depending on the outcome in Florida, with Romney far behind with 206 or 235. There are 538 electoral college votes in total, meaning that a candidate must win 270 to make it to the White House.

Despite unemployment standing at 7.9 per cent and Obama performing very poorly during the first presidential debate, Romney was crushed in the electoral college, though the popular vote will prove much tighter.
With votes still left to be counted in nearly every state, Obama had 58,932,757 votes to Romney's 56,583,680. The President claimed 50.2 percent of the popular vote. About 48.2 percent of the nation supported the Republican challenger.
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 the sounds of Stevie Wonder's 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours,' before delivering his powerful speech looking toward 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.'

Family: The delighted President was joined by his wife Michelle and their daughters Sasha and Malia

Crowd: Obama delivered his speech in front of thousands of supporters in Chicago

Team: Obama called Biden 'America's happy warrior' as he paid tribute to his role in the election campaign

Devotion: Michelle Obama clearly never lost faith in her husband's political skills

He revealed that speaking to Romney, he 'congratulated him and (vice presidential nominee) Paul Ryan on a hard-fought 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.'
In his conclusion, Obama said: 'I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn't matter whether you're black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you're willing to try.

'I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We're not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America.'
In a moment of lightness in an otherwise gritty address, 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’.
The Obamas embraced Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Janna, as well as a large number of other relatives and supporters, as Bruce Springsteen's anthem We Take Care of Our Own blared over the arena's speakers.

Pride: The whole Obama family congratulated the President after his landslide election

Still in the spotlight: Obama will remain the country's most prominent political figure for the next four years, until his successor is elected in 2016

Says it all: Michelle Obama was visibly fired up by her husband's election success

Staying put: The young First Family will stay in the White House until January 2017

Confetti: The Obama victory rally was showered in coloured paper as the President emerged to speak

Scene: The crowds of Obama supporters wanted to party like it was 2008 as they rediscovered their energy at last

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.

The President quickly received congratulations from world leaders - with the prime ministers of close allies Britain and Israel among the first to send messages of goodwill. David Cameron tweeted congratulations to 'my friend Barack Obama', while Benjamin Netanyahu wrote that the two countries' friendship was 'closer than ever'.

Victory: Barack Obama tweeted this picture of himself with his wife Michelle shortly after being declared the winner of the 2012 presidential election

Concession: Mitt Romney delivered a short but gracious speech admitting defeat and urging American unity

Family: The Romneys were joined on stage by their relatives and the Ryan family in Boston

Yes we could: Barack Obama and Joe Biden congratulate each other with their wives in Chicago

 

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 3am the pair were separated by less than one percentage point, with just a few hundred thousand votes putting the President in front.
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.

Walking off the national stage: Romney delivered what could have been his farewell to public life

So close, but so far: Romney is joined by his wife Ann, his running mate Paul Ryan and Janna Ryan on stage

Gratitude: Romney thanked his supporters and campaign team for their effort on his behalf

Never mind, darling: Ann Romney comforts Mitt after his crushing election defeat

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.

Last-minutes nerves: Mitt Romney jets off on his campaign plane alongside his aide Garrett Jackson

Ready to get back to business: Barack Obama has been re-elected for a second term as President

Success: Obama supporters explode with delight as their candidate comes closer to victory

Grief: A young Romney fan looks anxious as the unwelcome results roll in to campaign 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.

Result: CNN lit up the Empire State Building in blue around 11.15pm when Obama was declared the winner

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 victory

There were 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.
Obama admitted in his victory speech that the long lines were unacceptable, saying 'we have to fix that' - but in fact turnout appeared to be significantly lower than in 2008 despite the congestion at many stations.
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 closed at 1am EST on Wednesday.
After it became clear that Obama had won, business tycoon Donald Trump tweeted his fury at the result, calling for a 'revolution' over the 'great and disgusting injustice' in a series of increasingly bizarre messages.

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 Jr

Big 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 Ryan was also re-elected as a congressman following a campaign he conducted at the same time as serving as Mitt Romney's running mate.
However, the Tea Party appeared to have lost its political strength, as conservative icon Allen West was unceremoniously booted out of Congress and former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann also appeared to be in danger of losing her seat.
On the Democratic side, controversial congressman Jesse Jackson Jr cruised 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.
In addition to the congressional races, a number of divisive ballot measures were also voted upon - same-sex marriage was legalised in Maine, Maryland and Washington, while marijuana was decriminalised in Colorado and Washington.

Letdown: Romney supporters looked increasingly nervous throughout the evening as he headed toward 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 Boston

Speaking to a radio station in Richmond, Virginia 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

Contrast: Obama spent his last day of the campaign playing basketball with friends and campaign staff in Chicago

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.

ECONOMY TOP ISSUE FOR VOTERS

Most voters cast their ballot with the state of the economy at the top of their minds - and most of them think it is not improving, exit polls show.
Rising prices and unemployment were heavy on the minds of voters Tuesday even as a glimmer of optimism peeked through, with 4 in 10 saying the nation's economy is getting better.
There was wide agreement that the economy still has far to go - three-quarters of voters said it was poor or not so good, according to preliminary results of exit polls. Only a quarter thought they were better off financially than four years ago when President Barack Obama was elected.
The survey of voters as they left polling places showed 6 in 10 ranked the economy the top issue. The majority who don't yet see economic improvement were roughly divided over whether things were getting even worse or just stuck in place.

After visiting a Cleveland-area campaign office, the duo stopped for lunch at a Wendy's in Richmond Heights, where Romney ordered a quarter-pounder, chili and a Frosty, and Ryan ordered a quarter-pounder and a salad.
Asked about their hectic schedule in recent days, Ryan said of Romney: 'He’s kind of operating on fumes.'
And when he landed at Pittsburgh International Airport this afternoon, Romney was greeted by a huge crowd which had gathered in a nearby parking garage to watch his arrival.
'That's when you know you're going to win,' Romney said after waving to the crowd.

Ryan headed to Richmond, Virginia for a final campaign stop and both will return to Boston later this evening to await the election results.

Obama, who has said he feels 'cautiously optimistic' about the outcome of the election, stayed in Chicago and conducted a dozen satellite interviews broadcast in swing states. He decided not to campaign anywhere, instead taking part in his election day tradition stretching back to the 2008 primaries of playing basketball.
Participants in the presidential game this time included his former personal aide Reggie Love, Arnie Duncan, the Education Secretary, Marty Nesbitt, a Chicago friend, and Mike Ramos, a friend from his high school days in Hawaii.
Former White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told the Washington Post that Obama sent an e-mail to his former personal aide, Reggie Love, to begin organising his regular basketball game in Chicago.
'We made the mistake of not playing basketball once,' Gibbs said in reference to a missed game on the day of the 2008 primary election in New Hampshire, which Obama lost to Hillary Clinton. 'We won’t make that mistake again.'

Hopeful: President Barack Obama hugs a volunteer during a visit to a campaign office in Chicago as people across the country cast their votes

Support: The Romneys share a kiss after voting in Belmont - and ahead of final campaign stops in Ohio and Pennsylvania on November 6

Taking part: Voters queue up at Washington Mill Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia

In a New Hampshire radio interview, Obama spoke while a co-host’s daughter of 12, called Taylor, was in the studio.
Taylor had prepared a question: 'Mr President, my mom won't let me date until I'm 16. Do you allow your daughters to date yet?'
Obama said that Sasha, 11, his younger daughter, did not yet seem to be interested in dating. He said that for Malia, 14, now in high school, there hadn't been 'anything official' yet.
'I would say that you should talk it through with your parents and the time will be right where there's nothing wrong with a young man coming by, introducing himself, being very proper and polite and making sure that you guys get home at a reasonable time,' he said.
'But I'm going to leave that up to your mom to make sure that she sets the ground rules.'
Obama said that ‘being a parent's not always easy, Taylor’ and added: ‘I know you guys think you have it rough, but being a parent's not too easy, either. We worry about you guys so much because we love you so much.’

Obama also spoke business, encouraging people to vote, whomever they choose to support.

'The first thing is vote,' he said. 'Regardless of who you’re voting for our democracy works when the American people get involved. The American people are decent, hard working, and they’ve got great instincts. The more people participate the better the outcome.'

Support: Obama looks at a commemorative 'Obama shoe' that a campaign volunteer asked him to sign outside the office

Making friends: Biden kisses a woman during his impromptu stop in Cleveland on his way to meet Obama in Chicago

Speaking at a campaign office in Chicago, Obama extended his congratulations to Romney 'on a spirited campaign'. But the president, who spoke with reporters after calling Wisconsin campaign volunteers from near his Chicago home, said he is 'confident we've got the votes to win'.
He was greeted by thunderous applause from volunteers, many of whom had tears streaming down their face, at the campaign office. During his phone calls, he told one volunteer to 'keep working hard all the way through', adding: 'Hopefully we'll have a good day'.
The words of encouragement come after Obama revealed on The Steve Harvey Morning Show on Monday: 'I feel optimistic but only cautiously optimistic, because until people actually show up at the polls and cast their ballot, the rest of this stuff is all just speculation.'
On Monday, one of his final campaign stops was in Des Moines, Iowa, a state where he defeated Clinton in the Democratic caucuses of January 2000, with Bruce Springsteen.
Romney was in Manchester, New Hampshire, the state where he had a holiday home and where he launched a 2012 campaign that now places him agonisingly close to the presidency - leading in some national polls but just behind in all-important Ohio.
Warming up a crowd of more than 11,000 in the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester was Kid Rock, who performed his 'Born Free' song that has become the Romney campaign's anthem.

Making a difference: Raena Lamont, three, wears a Captain America costume at a polling center doubling as a donation site in the Staten Island borough of New York City

Fan: Sarah Jessica Parker and her son James both showed their support for Obama in New York on Tuesday

Both men delivered version of the stump speech they have honed in recent days and delivered up to four times a day as they have crisscrossed the country.

'This is where the campaign began,' Romney said. 'You got this campaign started a year and a half ago. Tomorrow your votes and your work here in New Hampshire will help me become the next President of the United States.'
There were loud boos whenever Obama's name was mentioned. 'With the right leadership, America is going to come roaring back,' Romney said. 'President Obama promised change but couldn't deliver it. I not only promise change, but I have a record of achieving it.'
In Des Moines, Obama savoured but also lamented what would be the last time he would ever hold a campaign rally – for himself, at least.
He declared: 'I came back to ask you to help us finish what we started because this is where our movement for change began.
'To all of you who've lived and breathed the hard work of change - I want to thank you. You took this campaign and made it your own. When the cynics said you couldn't, you said: "Yes we can".'

'THE BEST IS YET TO COME': OBAMA LAYS OUT VISION FOR SECOND TERM

Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward.
It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people.
Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come.
I want to thank every American who participated in this election, whether you voted for the very first time or waited in line for a very long time. By the way, we have to fix that.
Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone, whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference.
I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. We may have battled fiercely, but it's only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service and that is the legacy that we honor and applaud tonight.
In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.
I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America's happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden.
And I wouldn't be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. Let me say this publicly: Michelle, I have never loved you more. I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you, too, as our nation's first lady.
Sasha and Malia, before our very eyes you're growing up to become two strong, smart beautiful young women, just like your mom. And I'm so proud of you guys. But I will say that for now one dog's probably enough.
To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics - the best. The best ever. Some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning.
But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together and you will have the life-long appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way, through every hill, through every valley.
You lifted me up the whole way and I will always be grateful for everything that you've done and all the incredible work that you put in.
I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics that tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym, or saw folks working late in a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you'll discover something else.
You'll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who's working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity.
You'll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who's going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift.
You'll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse whose working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home.
That's why we do this. That's what politics can be. That's why elections matter. It's not small, it's big. It's important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy.
That won't change after tonight, and it shouldn't. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty. We can never forget that as we speak people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter, the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.
But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America's future. We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers. A country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation, with all the good jobs and new businesses that follow.
We want our children to live in an America that isn't burdened by debt, that isn't weakened by inequality, that isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. We want to pass on a country that's safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this - this world has ever known.
But also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war, to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being. We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America, open to the dreams of an immigrant's daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag.
To the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner. To the furniture worker's child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president - that's the future we hope for. That's the vision we share. That's where we need to go - forward. That's where we need to go.
Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It's not always a straight line. It's not always a smooth path.
By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won't end all the gridlock or solve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward. But that common bond is where we must begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. A long campaign is now over.
And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you, and you've made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead.
Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. Reducing our deficit. Reforming our tax code. Fixing our immigration system. Freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We've got more work to do.
But that doesn't mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our Democracy does not end with your vote. America's never been about what can be done for us. It's about what can be done by us together through the hard and frustrating, but necessary work of self-government. That's the principle we were founded on.
This country has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that's not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth.
The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations. The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That's what makes America great.
I am hopeful tonight because I've seen the spirit at work in America. I've seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors, and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job.
I've seen it in the soldiers who reenlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back.
I've seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm.
And I saw just the other day, in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter, whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care.
I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father, but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd listening to that father's story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes, because we knew that little girl could be our own.
And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That's who we are. That's the country I'm so proud to lead as your president.
And tonight, despite all the hardship we've been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I've never been more hopeful about our future.
I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope. I'm not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I'm not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight.
I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.
America, I believe we can build on the progress we've made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn't matter whether you're black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you're willing to try.
I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We're not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America.
And together with your help and God's grace we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on Earth.
Thank you, America. God bless you. God bless these United States.

'YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST': ROMNEY BIDS FAREWELL TO CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Thank you.
I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory. His supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. I wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady and their daughters.
This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.
I want to thank Paul Ryan for all that he has done for our campaign and for our country. Besides my wife, Ann, Paul is the best choice I've ever made. And I trust that his intellect and his hard work and his commitment to principle will continue to contribute to the good of our nation.
I also want to thank Ann, the love of my life. She would have been a wonderful first lady. She's - she has been that and more to me and to our family and to the many people that she has touched with her compassion and her care.
I thank my sons for their tireless work on behalf of the campaign, and thank their wives and children for taking up the slack as their husbands and dads have spent so many weeks away from home.
I want to thank Matt Rhoades and the dedicated campaign team he led. They have made an extraordinary effort not just for me, but also for the country that we love.
And to you here tonight, and to the team across the country - the volunteers, the fundraisers, the donors, the surrogates - I don't believe that there's ever been an effort in our party that can compare with what you have done over these past years. Thank you so very much.
Thanks for all the hours of work, for the calls, for the speeches and appearances, for the resources and for the prayers. You gave deeply from yourselves and performed magnificently. And you inspired us and you humbled us. You've been the very best we could have imagined.
The nation, as you know, is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can't risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people's work. And we citizens also have to rise to the occasion.
We look to our teachers and professors, we count on you not just to teach, but to inspire our children with a passion for learning and discovery. We look to our pastors and priests and rabbis and counselors of all kinds to testify of the enduring principles upon which our society is built: honesty, charity, integrity and family. We look to our parents, for in the final analysis everything depends on the success of our homes. We look to job creators of all kinds. We're counting on you to invest, to hire, to step forward. And we look to Democrats and Republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the politics.
I believe in America. I believe in the people of America. And I ran for office because I'm concerned about America. This election is over, but our principles endure. I believe that the principles upon which this nation was founded are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and to renewed greatness.
Like so many of you, Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign.
I so wish - I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader. And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation.
Thank you, and God bless America. You guys are the best. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks, guys.

VIDEO: See Obama's Presidential victory speech IN FULL

VIDEO: Romney concedes 2012 presidential race to Obama