President Obama congratulated Mitt Romney on a “spirited campaign” during a Tuesday morning stop at a campaign office in Chicago, according to a White House pool report. After making phone calls to thank volunteers for their work, Obama turned to the press and thanked his supporters, the American people, and congratulated his opponent.
“I also want to say to Gov. Romney, congratulations on a spirited campaign,” Obama said. “I know that his supporters are just as engaged and just as enthusiastic and working just as hard today.”
Here’s the whole statement from the pool report:
“Listen, I just want to say how grateful Michelle and I am for all the families and all the communities who have welcomed us into their homes, in some cases, into their neighborhoods and have in some cases worked so hard on our behalf.”
“The great thing about these campaigns is after all the TV ads and all the fundraising and all the debates and all the electioneering, it comes down to this. One day and these incredible folks who are working so hard, making phone calls, making sure that people go out to vote. So I just want to say thank you to the American people. It’s a source of great optimism for me whenever I come to Election Day because I end up having so much confidence in the decency and goodness and wisdom of the very folks who are working so hard trying to move their own small piece of this country forward.”
“I also want to say to Gov. Romney, congratulations on a spirited campaign. I know that his supporters are just as engaged and just as enthusiastic and working just as hard today. We feel confident we’ve got the votes to win that it’s going to depend ultimately on whether those votes turn out. And so I would encourage everybody on all sides just to make sure that you exercise this precious right that you have that people fought so hard for, for us to have.”
“I’m looking forward to the results. And I expect that we’ll have a good night. But no matter what happens, I just want to say how much I appreciate everybody who has supported me, everybody who has worked so hard on my behalf. And again, I want to congratulate Gov. Romney and his team for a hard-fought race as well. OK?”
