Against the background of popular tunes from Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen, freshly re-elected U.S. President Barack Obama early on Wednesday rallied his compatriots to unity.
Obama also reached out to Mitt Romney, the man he beat to win re-election.
Addressing supporters in his hometown of Chicago, President Obama said: “We are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation.''
The electoral body said Obama won re-election in the electoral college and also by winning? popular votes.
President Obama, said: “Tonight (U.S. time), 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 U.S., the best is yet to come.”
The President was also magnanimous in victory, hailing the man he defeated, Republican challenger Mitt Romney, for his love for his country.
He also said he had spoken to the defeated candidate to see how they can both sit down ''to talk about how we can move this country forward''.
With the cheering crowd punctuating his speech by chanting ''four more years'', President Obama thanked his deputy, Vice President Joe Biden, whom he described as the ''best Vice President anybody could ever hope for'', and his campaign team, which he called ''the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics.''
To his wife, he said: ''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 the First Lady.''
President Obama, born to an African (Kenyan) father and a American (white) mother, came to the stage for his victory speech accompanied by his wife, and their two daughters, Sasha and Malia.
PANA reports that as they arrived on the stage, Stevie Wonder's tune, ''signed, sealed, delivered'' played in the background, working the crowd to a frenzy as they swayed to the tune.
And shortly after his speech, Bruce Springsteen's ''we take care of our own'' boomed from the huge loudspeakers at the cavernous venue.
After a hard-fought election, President Obama secured broad support from the same coalition that gave him victory the first time – minorities, women and moderates to win re-election.
Projections by the U.S. television networks showed that Obama surpassed the decisive 270 electoral college votes with victory in Ohio.
He also led in the popular votes. (PANA/NAN)