Obama at white house: History revealed itself again

 Acknowledging the deep divisiveness that has polarized much of the nation, Obama vowed to work with GOP leaders on major looming issues, including the deficit, tax code and reinvigorating the economy.
Obama won at least 25 states, capturing 303 electoral votes, but held just a slim lead in the popular vote. Romney, who won 24, said in his concession speech that it was time to end bipartisan bickering.
"This is a time of great challenge for America, and I pray the president will be successful in guiding our nation,'' Romney said.
"The nation is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can't risk partisan bickering," said Romney, who urged Democrats and Republicans to work together on key issues, such as reviving the economy and growing jobs.
Democrats held their narrow majority in the Senate on Tuesday, grabbing Republican seats in Massachusetts and Indiana and turning aside GOP challenges in Missouri, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Republicans were well on the way to retaining control of the House of Representatives, ensuring that Congress will be divided at the start of Obama's second term.
One of the smallest of the battleground states, New Hampshire, went for Obama. So did Nevada, a state that went for Obama in 2008. Obama made 10 trips to the state, beset with the nation's highest unemployment rate and one of the nation's highest home foreclosure rates. Another toss-up state, Colorado, also went for Obama. The president won Pennsylvania, a state Romney looked to late in the campaign for a potential upset.
Exit polls of voters leaving their voting places suggested a razor-close outcome in a deeply divided nation, with the incumbent holding a small advantage, 51%-47%. That finding was from a survey of more than 25,565 voters nationally.
All told, Obama won at least 25 states, while Romney won at least 22 states, including much of the South, Plains and Mountain West. On the West Coast, Obama won California and Washington.
Obama won two of Romney's home states — Massachusetts, where the Republican won one election as governor, and Michigan, where Romney was born. Romney also has a home in New Hampshire, where he lost.
Obama's strength was in the Northeast and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region, including New York. He won his home state of Illinois as well as Vice President Biden's Delaware.
Exit polls of voters in key states showed the economy was the top issue on voters' minds, and on that and other key issues the nation remains sharply divided. It was clear that Obama would not do as well as he did in 2008, when he won with a 7.3% margin of the popular vote.
The exit polls suggested Romney won among men by double digits. Obama won among women, who were a focus of much of the campaign, but by a smaller margin than four years ago.