In his victory speech, Obama said this about Senator John McCain, whom he defeated in the presidential election.

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.

To those who voted against him, Obama said,

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 this is what John McCain had to say in his concession speech,

In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his [Obama's] 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.

…

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 appreciate this attitude of inclusiveness. Politicians in India have a thing or two to learn from these men. No doubt, Indian politicians are united in their efforts to misuse power and exploit people, but they make an external show of bitter rift in policies and create a huge amount of bitterness between groups of innocent people, divide them in terms of religious, regional and linguistic lines that result in in large scale violence and hatred. I am not saying that politicians in USA are angels, but they at least make an external show of unity once the electoral battle is over. While it’s true that the political set up and the electoral process is different in India and the temptation is great for divisive politics, I sincerely wish that politicians in India (and in all parts of the world) show at least some concern for truth, sincerity and unity.