As polls closed across the country on Tuesday, President Barack Obama had a concession speech ready, while Republican nominee Mitt Romney said he did not.
During his last press conference as a candidate, Romney told reporters on his plane that he had just finished writing his 1,118 victory speech. The Republican said that was the only speech he had at that point.
“And, uh, I’m sure it will change before I’m finished, because I haven’t passed it around to my family and friends and advisers to get their reaction, but I’ve only written one speech at this point,” Romney said, according to the New York Times’ transcript.
President Obama has prepared two speeches, one in the event of a win, another should he lose the election.
“You always have two speeches prepared because you can’t take anything for granted,” Obama told FOX31 in Denver.
“It is an extraordinary privilege to serve the people, whatever the office. I have served as a state senator, a U.S. senator and now as the president,” the president added. “And each and every time I’ve been reminded that it is the people where power ultimately resides; and I’m their representative, I’m their servant.”
Romney explained that he has not given much thought to losing — though he acknowledged to reporters that it is a possibility. He said that, should he win, he will quickly turn to focusing on “transition.”
“Instead it’s a time of forward focus,” Romney said. “And the prospect of losing, I don’t give that a lot of thought. I know it’s possible and, because there’s nothing certain in politics, but I have of course a family and a life that are important to me, win or lose.”