'The Best Is Yet To Come'

President Barack Obama promises action -- not politics -- as he celebrates reelection

Striking a tone reminiscent of the 2004 speech that first brought him to national prominence, President Barack Obama in a victory speech early Wednesday morning urged the nation to work together "to perfect our union" as he returns to the White House after winning a second term.

Taking the stage about 1:40 a.m. Wednesday at his campaign headquarters in Chicago, a grateful Obama said "the best is yet to come."

"Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual," Obama told a jubilant crowd.

"I want to thank every American who participated in this election, whether you voted for very first time, or waited in line for a very long time. By the way, we have to fix that," Obama said in an aside to cheers. "Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone. Whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard."

The speech held in the early morning hours of Wednesday following a surprisingly early Election Night capped off months of intense, divisive and often racially questionable general election campaigning between the Democratic President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney. The president emerged the winner of the presidential contest, with NBC networks being the first to call the race for Obama a little before 11:30 p.m. Election Night after finding that battleground Ohio had gone into the president's column.