Verbatim

"Congratulations, Mr. President."

—John Kerry
Democratic presidential candidate, conceding defeat to President Bush in a telephone call on Wednesday morning

"When you start a day like this in Jackson Hole, it's going to be a good day."

—Dick Cheney
Vice President, after voting near his home in Wyoming

"I think I go into a monastery."

—George Soros
Philanthropist and Kerry supporter, asked before the election what he would do if Bush won

"Appoint Senator Kerry ambassador to France."

—Don Imus
Radio talkmeister, on what advice he would give President Bush for his second term

"Reality is here, and I think we've got to give the President and his team a lot of credit ... They've won it."

—James Carville,
Democratic strategist on election night

"It's a staggering blow."

—George McGovern
Former South Dakota Senator and Democratic presidential candidate, on the defeat of fellow South Dakotan and Senate minority leader Tom Daschle

"This race is hotter than a Times Square Rolex."

—Dan Rather
CBS anchor, as the tight Florida returns began rolling in on election night

"What we have shown is that all of us can disagree without being disagreeable."

—Barack Obama
Who handily won his Illinois Senate race

"I promise you, it's me."

—George W. Bush
Making a phone call to a voter in Columbus, Ohio, on his way back to Washington on Election Day

"We promised ... that every vote would count and that every vote would be counted."

—John Edwards
Democratic vice-presidential candidate, at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, on why the Kerry campaign was holding back its concession

"We're beating them back with a chair and a whip."

—Denise Lamb
Chief of the New Mexico state bureau of elections, on the barrage of out-of-state lawyers wanting access to polling places

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