Concession speeches and phone calls

[billy.pilgrim]

Real presidents and real people are gracious.
Of course the best goes first.


"The polls hadn't closed in California yet, but it was obvious Reagan had won. Before his speech, Carter sent Reagan a telegram. “It's now apparent that the American people have chosen you as the next president,” it read. “I congratulate you and pledge to you our fullest support and cooperation...”

Concession telegrams had been de rigueur for decades, but Carter added an additional flourish. He gave Reagan an unexpected call. The president-elect had just gotten out of the shower, and he picked up the phone in the bathroom, “with a wrapped towel around me, my hair dripping with water,” to accept Carter's congratulations.

Thus, in his eagerness to show himself a graceful loser, Carter enshrined the awkward concession phone call in American election tradition."


https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a ... phone-call

[billy.pilgrim]

Here's Kerry- more graciousness - his love of country trumps his love of self

"White House spokespeople earlier described Kerry's congratulatory phone call to President Bush as gracious and strong on reconciliation.

And Wednesday the junior Massachusetts senator made repeated references to unifying a divided nation that produced only a two percentage point difference in the popular vote for the two presidential candidates.

It started when he disclosed the contents of his conversation with the president. "... I offered him and Laura our congratulations on their victory, " Kerry said. "We had a good conversation, and we talked about the danger of division in our country and the need -- the desperate need for unity, for finding the common ground, coming together. Today I hope that we can begin the healing."'


https://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/03/kerry/

[Vrede too]

Real presidents and real people are gracious....

The positive nature of your topic and posts is spoiled by the image of a naked Ronald Reagan.

[billy.pilgrim]

Real presidents and real people are gracious....

The positive nature of your topic and posts is spoiled by the image of a naked Ronald Reagan.

Come on, didn't he play Tarzan or that beach guy who kicked sand on the 98 lb weakling?

[Vrede too]

Come on, didn't he play Tarzan or that beach guy who kicked sand on the 98 lb weakling?

The positive nature of your topic and posts is spoiled by the image of a naked 69 year old Ronald Reagan.