- My friends, we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Sen. Barack Obama — to congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love.
- In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans, who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president, is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.
- This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.
- I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Sen. Obama believes that, too. But we both recognize that though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.
- A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to visit — to dine at the White House — was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States. Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.
- Sen. Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day — though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her Creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.
- Sen. Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.
- I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.
- Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.
- It is natural tonight to feel some disappointment, but tomorrow we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again. We fought — we fought as hard as we could.
- And though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours.
- I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends. The road was a difficult one from the outset. But your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you.
- I am especially grateful to my wife, Cindy, my children, my dear mother and all my family and to the many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign. I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me.
- You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate, and that's been true in this campaign. All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude, and the promise of more peaceful years ahead.
- I am also, of course, very thankful to Gov. Sarah Palin, one of the best campaigners I have ever seen and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength. Her husband, Todd, and their five beautiful children, with their tireless dedication to our cause, and the courage and grace they showed in the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign. We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country.
- To all my campaign comrades, from Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter, to every last volunteer who fought so hard and valiantly month after month in what at times seemed to be the most challenged campaign in modern times — thank you so much. A lost election will never mean more to me than the privilege of your faith and friendship.
- I don't know what more we could have done to try to win this election. I'll leave that to others to determine. Every candidate makes mistakes, and I'm sure I made my share of them. But I won't spend a moment of the future regretting what might have been.
- This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life. And my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Sen. Obama and my old friend, Sen. Joe Biden, should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.
- I would not be an American worthy of the name, should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century. Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone and I thank the people of Arizona for it.
- Tonight — tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Sen. Obama, I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president.
- And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.
- Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history. Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.
謝謝你們，謝謝你們，我的朋友們。謝謝你們在如此美麗的亞利桑納夜晚來到這裡。
我的朋友們，我們已經，我們已經走到了旅途的終點。美國人民已經說話了，他們說的很清楚。
就在剛才，我榮幸地打電話給奧巴馬參議員，對他表示祝賀。
祝賀他當選這個我們都熱愛的國家的下任總統。
在一個如此漫長、如此困難的競選中，他的成功本身就足以讓我對他的能力和堅忍不拔的毅力表示敬意。但是他成功地激起數以百萬美國人的希望，我對此深表欽佩和讚揚。這些人在過去錯誤地認為，他們在總統競選中沒有影響力，而且結果與他們無關。
這是一個歷史性的選舉，我意識到今夜對非裔美國人的特殊意義，是他們值得驕傲的一夜。
我一直認為，美國給所有勤奮及決心抓住機會的人機會。奧巴馬也相信這一點。
但是我們兩人也都意識到，儘管我們過去的那些不公義已經離我們很遠。但那些曾玷污我們國家聲譽，使一些美國人不能享受所有公民的權益的記憶仍然有傷人的能力。
一個世紀前，羅斯福總統（Theodore Roosevelt）邀請布克‧華盛頓（Booker T. Washington）在白宮共進晚餐曾激怒很多人。（註：布克‧華盛頓是一名非裔美國人）
今天的美國已經完全不同於當時那個充滿殘酷和醜陋偏見的時代。一位非裔美國人當選總統就是最好的明證。
讓所有美國人都慶幸自己擁有這個世界上最偉大國家的國籍。
奧巴馬參議員為他自己和這個國家達成了一個偉大的事情。我為他鼓掌，對熱愛他的祖母未能在去世前看到今天的一切表示深切的同情。儘管我們的信仰讓我們堅信她在她的造物主那裡獲得了安息，她一定非常驕傲自己撫養了那麼好的一個人。
參議員奧巴馬和我有許多分歧，我們並且為此爭論，他勝了。毫無疑問，許多這些分歧依然存在。
我們的國家正處在困難時期。我今晚向他承諾，將運用我的全部力量幫助他帶領我們面對挑戰。
我敦促所有支持我的美國人，加入我，不僅僅是祝賀他，還要獻上我們的誠意和最大的努力，找到必要的妥協，能讓我們一起化解分歧，幫助重建我們的繁榮，並在一個危險的世界中保衛我們的安全，同時留給我們的子孫一個比我們當初繼承的，更強大，更好的國家。
無論我們的分歧是什麼，我們都是美國人。請相信我，對我而言，這比什麼都重要。
非常自然地，今夜會感到失望。但是明天，我們必須擺脫失望，一起奮鬥，讓國家向前邁進。
我們奮戰—盡了全力的奮戰。雖然我們失敗了，但那是我的失敗，不是你們的失敗。
我對深深地感激你們對我的支持和對我做的一切。我希望結果會是不同的，我的朋友們。
道路自一開始時就是困難的，但你們的支持和友誼從來沒有動搖過。我無法適當地表達我對你們的虧欠。
我要特別感謝我的妻子辛迪，我的孩子們，我親愛的媽媽和我的家庭，及許多老朋友們，在這漫長競選中，不論時局湖壞，總是在旁支持我。
我一直是一個幸運的人，從沒有比得到你們給我的愛和鼓勵更幸運的了。
你們知道，競選過程對候選人的家人可能比對候選人本身更難過，這次選舉也是這樣。
我所能提供的補償就是我的愛和感激以及在承諾今後平靜的歲月。
我也非常感謝莎拉‧佩林州長，我所見過的最好的候選人之一，為共和黨帶來了新的改革聲音及我們強大的信條。感謝她的丈夫和五個美麗的孩子在競選的坎坷路途中所付出的不倦的努力、勇氣和優雅。
我們帶着極大的興趣希望她在未來能為阿拉斯加、共和黨和國家做更多的事。
感謝我所有的競選夥伴，瑞克‧戴維斯、斯蒂夫‧施密德和馬克‧塞爾特，及所有在這麼多月的競選過程中，努力不懈及勇敢的志願者們。非常感謝你們。你們的信任和友情的重要性遠勝於輸掉選舉。
我不知道—我不知道我們還能做些什麼來贏得這場選舉。我將讓別人去決定吧。每位候選人都會犯錯誤，我相信我也犯了不少錯誤。但我不會把時間用到悔恨上。
這次選舉將是我人生的榮耀。對這次的經歷的和美國人民在決定選擇奧巴馬參議員和我的老朋友喬‧拜登在未來四年中領導我們之前，給了我一個公平的，陳述我的觀點的機會。對此，我充滿感激。
如果我後悔命運讓我為這個國家服務50年，我就不配是美國人。
今天，我是這個我如此熱愛的國家的總統候選人。今夜我依然是她的僕人。這是每個人所能得到的最好祝福，她為我們每個人帶來福祉，謝謝亞歷桑納州的民眾。
今夜，比任何其他的夜晚，我的心充滿對這個國家和人民的熱愛，不管他們是支持我還是支持奧巴馬。
我祝福曾經是我的對手，現在將成為總統的人一路平安。我呼籲所有的美國人，正如我在競選過程中的經常呼籲，不要對現在的困難沮喪，而是永遠相信美國的偉大及希望，因為在這裡，什麼都是可能的。
美國人不會退縮。 我們永不投降。
我們從不躲避歷史。我們創造歷史。
謝謝你們，上帝保佑你們，上帝保佑美國。非常感謝你們。
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