얼마나 많은 사람들이 모였는지 가늠이 안될 정도로 수 많은 인파가 몰렸다. 그 중에는 오프라 윈프리도 보였고, 제시 잭슨 목사도 보였다.

4일 밤 미 대통령선거 당선자가 확정된 뒤 시카고 그랜트 공원에서 선거의 밤 행사가 열렸다. "미국의 차기 대통령(Next president of the United States)"이라는 소개와 함께 버락 오바마와 그의 부인 미셸 오바마가 각각 두 딸의 손을 잡고 무대에 등장했다.

무대는 전혀 들뜨지 않는 차분한 분위기로 마련되어 있었다. 승리를 축하하는 꽃가루도 축포도 없었고, 음악도 경건한 분위기였다.

"헬로우 시카고"로 입을 연 오바마는 "여전히 미국이 기회의 땅인지 미국 건국 아버지들의 꿈이 실현될 수 있을지를 회의하는 사람이 있다면, 오늘 밤이 바로 그 대답이 될 것"이라며 연설을 시작했다.

또한 그간 수많은 연설에서 얘기해왔던 주제, 즉 이 승리는 빈부의 차이, 인종적·정치이념적으로 다른 다양한 미국인들의 부름에 대한 대답이며 또한 전 세계에 미국은 분열된 곳이 아닌 '미합중국(United States of America)'이라는 메시지를 전해준 것이라며 통합된 나라로서의 미국을 강조했다.

그리고 이어서 많은 사람들에게 감사의 인사를 했다. 오바마는 매케인에게 축하 전화를 받았다며, "매케인은 일반인들이 상상할 수 없는 희생을 견뎌낸 용기있고 이타적인 사람"이라고 추켜올렸다. 또한 페일린에 대해서도 그가 이룬 성취에 대해 축하를 보내주었다. 그러면서 미국이 주는 약속을 되살리기 위해 이들과 앞으로 함께 일할 것을 강조했다.

또한, 부통령으로 당선된 바이든에게 감사를 전했고, 무엇보다 지난 16년간 자신의 '최고의 친구'이자 가족의 버팀목이 되어준 미셸 오바마에게, 그리고 두 딸인 샤샤와 말리야에게도 감사를 전했다. 두 딸에게는 백악관에 들어갈 때 강아지를 사주겠다고 약속했다.

그는 이어 손자의 대통령 당선을 하루 앞두고 세상을 떠난 외할머니에 대한 찬사와 그리움을 전했고, 여동생인 마야와 다른 많은 형제 자매들에게도 감사를 전했다. 특히, 오바마 캠프의 두 책임자인 2명의 데이빗(데이빗 플루오프와 데이빗 엑셀로드)에게 각각 미국 역사상 최고의 선거조직과 전략을 세워주었다고 칭찬했다.

그러나 무엇보다 제일 감사할 사람은 바로 지지자들이고, 자신은 이 승리가 누구의 승리인지 결코 있지 않을 것이며, 이것은 바로 미국 국민들의 승리라고 말했다. 또한 자신의 선거 운동이 어떻게 시작되었는지, 왜 워싱턴의 크고 화려한 곳이 아니라 아이오와 시골 마을의 작고 초라한 곳에서 시작되었는지, 얼마나 많은 소액 기부금을 바탕으로 세워졌는지를 강조하며, 이것은 바로 국민들의 승리라고 찬사를 보냈다.

그는 지금은 승리를 축하하고 있지만 당장 내일부터 엄청난 도전과 시련이 기다리고 있다며, 2개의 전쟁과 미국의 경제 위기 등을 지목했다. 또 아프가니스탄과 이라크에서 싸우고 있는 군인들, 생활이 어려운 많은 사람들에 대한 이야기를 했다. 1년 안에, 또는 4년의 임기 안에 이런 문제들을 다 해결할 수 없을 지도 모르지만, 오바마는 "오늘의 승리를 통해서 지금보다 더 희망에 찼던 적은 없다"고 말했다. 

미국 대선을 지켜보고 있는 전 세계인들을 향해서는 미국이 곧 리더십을 회복할 것이라 예고했다.

그는 오늘 투표를 행사한 106살의 앤 닉슨 쿠퍼라는 할머니를 예로 들어, 그가 노예제도가 있었을 때 태어나 여자와 흑인이라는 이유로 투표를 할 수 없었으나 오늘 투표권을 행사했다면서, 지난 한 세기간 미국의 아픔과 변화를 온 몸으로 경험했던 그녀를 통해 미국의 인권 운동과 달 착륙 등 지난 미국의 역사를 얘기했다.  

오바마 연설이 끝난 후, 조명을 받으며 바이든이 등장했고, 곧 이어 미셸과 질 바이든이, 그리고 양쪽 가족의 아이들과 형제 자매, 어머니들이 등장했다. 모두 얼싸안고 서로를 축하해주었으며 청중에게 인사를 나눈 뒤 퇴장했고, 끝으로 버락 오바마와 미셸 오바마가 퇴장했다.

오바마 당선연설 전문(원문)

Hello, Chicago. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference. It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America. It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America. A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain. Don't Miss America votes for change Transcript of McCain's concession speech African-American centenarian votes Obama grandmother dies before election Presidential election results Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead. I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden. And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure. To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them. And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America. To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done. But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth. This is your victory. And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education. There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand. What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too. And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope. That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can. When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can. She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can. A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can. America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.