McCain: "The American People Have Spoken"

Republican Concedes, Says Obama Achieved "Great Thing For Himself And For His Country"

(AP)  Republican John McCain conceded the presidential race to Barack Obama, saying the Democrat has achieved a "great thing for himself and for his country."

Flanked by wife Cindy and running-mate Sarah Palin, McCain spoke to supporters outside the Arizona Biltmore Hotel shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday, saying the "American people have spoken and they have spoken clearly."

He conceded the contest as polls closed on the West Coast, adding a string of states to Obama's electoral vote tally and sealing the Illinois senator's victory.

McCain stressed the historic nature of the election, noting that an invitation to Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House by Theodore Roosevelt had been viewed as an insult in some quarters.

"Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country," McCain said.

Although McCain had criticized Obama during the hard-fought campaign as too inexperienced to be president, the Arizona senator said that "in a contest as long and as difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance.

"But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving."

McCain told his supporters that it was natural "to feel some disappointment. Though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours."

McCain had been all but counted out of the contest for the GOP nomination in the summer of 2007, when his campaign was all but broke, and his comeback was a remarkable political feat.

"I don't know what more we could have done to win this election," McCain said. "I'll leave that to others to determine. ... I won't spend a moment in the future regretting what might have been."

McCain also praised Palin, his surprise choice for vice president. The Alaska governor excited the GOP base, especially evangelical voters, but critics dismissed her political resume as brief and light on substance.

Palin is "one of the best campaigners I have ever seen, and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength," McCain said, adding that she and her family showed "courage and grace" in the "rough and tumble of a presidential campaign."

[eroosevelt08]

Cindy McCain stood by her man. She had a great deal of class.

[eroosevelt08]

President Bush won by a smaller margin but he said he had earned ''political capital'' when he was reelected.

[cwazywabt]

This wasn''t a Landslide......only a difference of 8 million votes......a Landslide was Reagan/Mondale.....but all you new puberty black+white voters don''t remember that eh?

[cwazywabt]

NOW BOTH WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE FIRST WHITE TEAM TO LOSE TO AN ELOQUENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN. GOOD SPEECH LAST NIGHT McCAIN. TOO BAD YOU DIDN''''T ACT THAT WAY WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING. GO BACK TO WASILA SARAH. GO DON''''T LIKE UGLY. CAN''''T WAIT FOR SNL THIS WEEKEND. GO OBAMA/BIDEN!!!

Posted by lucilioness

Eloquent....uh..really...uhh...do you really uh mean he is uh such an uh eloquent speaker with that drug uhh induced stuttering? Remove the teleprompters and he isn''t eloquent at all.....he is just another American Idol winner.....all celebrity......no experience....

[onarollagain]

Hold on to your hats; history was really made...the worst ever loss after a presidential election....wise American investors know what he is going to do to them so they are getting out!! The facts speak for themselves....suckers!! America has been duped!!

Year Dow S&P Nasdaq President elect
2008 -5.05 -5.27 -5.53 Barack Obama
2004 +1.01 1.12 0.98 George W. Bush
2000 -0.41 -1.58 -5.39 No decision: G.W. Bush v Al Gore*
1996 1.59 1.46 1.34 William Clinton
1992 -0.91 -0.67 0.16 William Clinton
1988 -0.43 -0.66 -0.29 George H. W. Bush
1984 -0.88 -0.73 -0.32 Ronald Reagan
1980 1.70 1.77 1.49 Ronald Reagan
1976 -0.99 -1.14 -1.12 James Carter
1972 -0.11 -0.55 -0.39 Richard Nixon
1968 0.34 0.16 --- Richard Nixon
1964 -0.19 -0.05 --- Lyndon Johnson
1960 0.77 0.44 --- John Kennedy

[kansas1946]

Democraps...you are directly responsible for the thousands of deaths on 9/11 and are directly responsible for the murder of innocent babies in the womb. Posted by andywahr

*****************************
Give it up. It is over. Now that the election is over, become an American instead of a Republican. Let us all work together for positive change. We have so many problems in this country right now that it is going to take all of working together to move us to higher ground. We can disagree on some issues without hating each other. We are all Americans and we all love our country.

[kansas1946]

John McCain made one of the most beautiful concession speachs that I have ever heard by any losing candidate and was superior to most acceptance speeches. Where has THIS John McCain been for eight years. This is the John McCain that I loved and supported in 2000. This is the John McCain that fought partisan politics in the senate for years in the interest of the American people. This is the real John McCain.

It is unfortunate in the current Republican party that if you don''t sell your soul to the "base" a group of bigoted, judgemental, rigid, hateful, humorless, fools, that you can not get the nomination.

Of course, after you have done that, then the normal humans won''t elect you.

"What profit it a man to gain the world, if he loseth his soul."

John McCain sold his soul to try to please those most dispicable of humans.

[Meg003]

Obama will be the first president elected by the Presidential Idol celebrity set. He was elected because he is adored by the media, and promoted by powerful celebrities and companies with deep pockets. He had a stunning lack of experience, and has released little detailed information on what he plans to do as president.

However, he has brought a positive, incredibly well-received face to America''s image. There is a warmth and a magnetism about Barack Obama that I cannot remember seeing since Ronald Reagan, another celebrity favorite. If he turns out to be intelligent and adept at managing the office of the President of the United States, and helps improve our economy and return to the original ideals of the United States Constitution, what a wonderful leader he could make.

[rbi149]

A few "thank you''''s" are in order.
Thank you to the REPUBLICAN''''T PARTY for:

-Sarah Palin
-Joe the Plumber
-Williams Ayers as a non-issue
-ACORN as a non-issue
-referring to Obama as "that one" in the debates
-lipstick on a pig
-Coal
-Last minute Rev. Wright ads that turned off voters
-"my fellow prisoners"
-McCain suspending his campaign (who noticed?)
-Socialism
-Communism
-characterizing Obama as a "celebrity"
-criticizing Obama as being "elite" (elite is good, morons)
-calling Obama a Muslim
-Generally inciting hate and division
-never having a consistent message
-NEVER addressing the pressing issues that concern the American people, but focusing on the above BS

and most of all...

Thank you for BEHAVING LIKE REPUBLICANS

[lucilioness]

McCAIN MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE WHEN HE CHOSE SARAH PALIN AS A RUNNING MATE. HE WILL NEVER ADMIT IT, BUT THAT IS THE MAIN REASON HE LOST. THE ECONOMY, THE WAR, AND THE HATEMONGERING OF SARAH PALIN DID HIM IN. AND HE SAT BACK AND LET IT HAPPEN. SHE LAUGHED AT BARACK AS A "COMMUNITY ORGANIZER", AND McCAIN LAUGHED WITH HER. NOW BOTH WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE FIRST WHITE TEAM TO LOSE TO AN ELOQUENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN. GOOD SPEECH LAST NIGHT McCAIN. TOO BAD YOU DIDN''T ACT THAT WAY WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING. GO BACK TO WASILA SARAH. GO DON''T LIKE UGLY. CAN''T WAIT FOR SNL THIS WEEKEND. GO OBAMA/BIDEN!!!

[popstom12]

Stupid white people spoken

[u2playnice]

McCain looks drunk.

[u2playnice]

Go retire and cheat on THIS wife too you egotistical jackass.
Posted by LikLezzyPuss

Yeah, that''s right...the moral high ground man''s wife was crippled, and he dumped her and took up with a rich blond. Lovely. And what was that Keating 5 thingy about??? OH, I KNOW...LIES CHEATING AND STEALING.

Thank GOD is right. Glad it was a land slide so the piles of dirt will cover his stnch.

[liberalme]

Democraps...you are directly responsible for the thousands of deaths on 9/11 and are directly responsible for the murder of innocent babies in the womb. Posted by andywahr


Hold er nute!!! Ain''t it funny on the day of 911 Daddy Bush was having a breakfast meeting with Bin Ladens brother right there in NY?

Ain''t it ODD that Bush VOWED to get Bin Laden dead or alive---but never really had any interest in catching him?

You want to do a little searching to find out who was really responsible for 911??? It may surprise you!!

It''s pretty well known, the republicans love the fetus so it can gro into an adult they can send to a manufactured war for oil! What manes them any better?

Ya shot yourself in the foot---MY FRIEND!!! LOL

[u2playnice]

UNFORTUNATELY, IMBECILES, IGNORAMOUSES, AND FOOLS CAN VOTE A PERSON INTO AN OFFICE.
Posted by pony1225

Yeah yeah, but we''''re not talking about 2000 and 2004...
Posted by LikLezzyPuss

LOL!!!!!



Posted by arlt1627
great post - these sites bring out the freaks. The republicans are so transparent with their mantra of "moral high ground". I cannot imagine a bigger lie. Our nation is in the toilet and the hands of republicans...any wonder why the ENTIRE WORLD is in jubilent celebration today?????

[liberalme]

my biggest concers is-----WHat''s LIEberman going to do now???????

His political career is OVER!! That''s what you get for being a political Judas!!!!

[arlt1627]

By the way, I thought BOTH McCain & Obama made wonderful speeches and were very respectful of each other and America. They''re both good men with some fundamental differences in their philosophies of making America a better place. To throw Christianity & hatred together is flat out wrong. BTW, wouldn''t Jesus be a socialist himself in our modern era? Or an accumulater of wealth? I think we all know that answer....isn''t it interesting!

[arlt1627]

Democraps...you are morally/ethically challenged and are directly responsible for the thousands of deaths on 9/11 and are directly responsible for the murder of innocent babies in the womb. CBS, NBC, CNN all have the same Democrap propoganda...Socialist America. Enjoy all of the agonizing repercussions that result from rejecting God.

Posted by andywahr

I am a practicing Christian that voted for Obama because McCain had no message and changed from where he was politically in 2000. To label democrats as such is ignorant and wrong. Where in Christianity is it correct to kill anyone, in the womb or war? This election is NOT about Christianity...it is about who is best to govern the United States (and peoples) of America (who are as diverse as they come).....and to uphold the Constitution which Bush did not do. I don''t appreciate being lied to about reasons for wars and manipulating other countries. I don''t enjoyed being spied upon either. And to say that Republicans hold the moral superiority in this country is flat out wrong....I could name a host of those in Congress or the Republican Candidate himself for immorality in the home, Congress, in business, and so on.....we''re human beings.

[bjcone8559]

UNFORTUNATELY, IMBECILES, IGNORAMOUSES, AND FOOLS CAN VOTE A PERSON INTO AN OFFICE. BELIEVE ME I VOTED A LIBERAL DEM INTO OFFICE WHEN I WAS 18, THANKFULLY I CAN SAY I NEVER MADE THAT SAME MISTAKE AGAIN! SOON BUT NOT SOON ENOUGH ALOT OF PEOPLE WILL SEE THIS ERROR OF THIS CHOICE FOR PRES. GOD HELP US!!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by pony1225


You are a dumazz liar!!!!

The last time a liberal democrat was voted into office 18 year olds could not vote. Stop making shiiit up!! You sound like every other republican, too dumb to know you are making an azz of yourself!!

[bogusbones]

an amazing concession speech from an incredible man. i feel for him as he was forced by factions within the party to be something he isn''t. a true patriot and i feel his love of the country will overrided politics and he will help his rival to accomplish goals for the good of all.