With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Historian: Romney speech ‘cleared the bar,’ but barely

A concession speech is the last thing any presidential candidate wants to make, the last thing to prepare for, the last thing in a winner-focused society that he or she wants to be remembered by. Mitt Romney ”cleared the bar” with a short speech in Boston early Wednesday but it won’t be one of the most memorable concessions, said historian and political analyst Scott Farris. Farris, author of “Almost President: The Men Who Lost The Race But Changed The Nation,’‘ breaks down a solid concession speech into several elements.

“The first part is the concession. Usually, this entails something along the lines of, as John McCain said, ‘the American people of have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.’ Wendell Willkie had a nice turn of phrase when he said, ‘People of America, I accept the results of the election with complete good will.’...

Related Links


HNN Hot Topics: Election 2012

Read entire article at WaPo