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Bush congratulates Obama on victory, McCain concedes defeat

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-05 15:55

WASHINGTON -- US President George W. Bush called president-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday to congratulate him on his victory in the elections shortly after Republican John McCain conceded defeat.

Latest projections showed that Obama won a landslide victory with at least 338 electoral votes while McCain only got 156 votes.

President George W. Bush speaks with President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) during a congratulatory phone call from the Treaty Room at the White House November 4, 2008. [Agencies]

Under US election system, a candidate needs 270 electoral votes to capture the White House.

Obama, a 47-year-old first term senator hailed from Illinois, made history by becoming the first African-American president-elect of the United States.

He became a clear winner even in the early hours of the much-publicized Election Night when US media were jockeying for eyeballs to project polling results and declared McCain's defeat in key battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio.

In a televised speech made in Phoenix, his home state of Arizona, McCain congratulated Obama on winning the presidency, saying that "the American people have spoken."

McCain, 72, urged his supporters to rally behind the new president-elect and vowed to help his ex-rival to deal with multiple challenges facing the country.

US Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) stands with his wife Cindy as he delivers his concession speech after US Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) defeated him, during his election night rally in Phoenix, November 4, 2008. [Agencies]

"Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans and please believe me when I say no association has meant more to me than that," the Arizona senator said.

"It is natural tonight to feel some disappointment but tomorrow we must move beyond it," he added.

The Election Day dawned on Tuesday with Obama leading in almost all national and state-by-state pre-election surveys, making it a tough uphill climb for McCain to seek an upset.

Analysts here said that a well-managed campaign, a sharp downturn of the U.S. economy in October and a heavy voters turnout on the Election Day are among the factors that help Obama to win the White House.