, a 47-year-old first-term agent from Illinois, burst added than 200 years of history Tuesday night by acceptable acclamation as the aboriginal African-American admiral of the United States.
A army of about a quarter-million awash Grant Esplanade and the surrounding breadth in Chicago, area Obama addressed the nation for the aboriginal time as its president-elect at midnight ET. Hundreds of bags added — Mayor Richard Daley said he would not be afraid if a actor Chicagoans awash the streets — watched on a ample television awning alfresco the park.
"If there is anyone out there who doubts that America is a abode area annihilation is possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is animate in our time, who still questions the ability of our democracy, tonight is your answer," Obama declared.
"Young and old, affluent and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans accept beatific a bulletin to the apple that we accept never been aloof a accumulating of red states and dejected states," he said. "We accept been and consistently will be the United States of America.
"It's been a continued time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has appear to America," he said to a continued roar.
McCain addendum history in the making
Obama congratulated his opponent, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for his "unimaginable" account to the United States, aboriginal as a captive of war for 5½ years in North Vietnam and again for about three decades in Congress.
McCain alleged Obama to action his congratulations at 11 p.m. ET, Obama's arch spokesman, Robert Gibbs, told NBC News. Obama thanked McCain for his "class and honor" during the attack and said he was acquisitive to sit bottomward and allocution about how the two of them could assignment together.
"The American bodies accept spoken, and they accept announced clearly," McCain told supporters in Phoenix, adage that he "recognized the appropriate significance"
Obama's achievement had for African-Americans.
"We both admit that admitting we accept appear a continued way from the old injustices that already decrepit our nation's acceptability and denied some Americans the abounding blessings of American citizenship, the anamnesis of them still accept the ability to wound," McCain said.
"Let there be no acumen for any American to abort to admire their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth," said McCain, who apprenticed his abutment and advice for the fresh president.
President Bush alleged to congratulate Obama and swear a bland alteration of ability on Jan. 20, White House backer Dana Perino said.
"Mr. President-elect, congratulations to you. What an alarming night for you, your ancestors and your supporters," said Bush, who arrive Obama and his ancestors to appointment the White House as anon as it was convenient.
The admiral additionally alleged McCain to say that he was appreciative of the senator's efforts and that he was "sorry it didn't assignment out."
"You didn't leave annihilation on the arena field," Bush said.
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