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PHOENIX (AP) — With a gracious nod to Barack Obama, John McCain acknowledged defeat and urged his supporters to move beyond partisan differences to put the country first — an echo of his campaign theme.

“I wish godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president,” McCain said as he conceded the presidency he has sought for a decade.

The four-term Arizona senator added: “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.”

Flanked by his wife Cindy and his running mate Sarah Palin, McCain stepped before supporters at the Biltmore Hotel on a balmy Tuesday evening shortly after telephoning Obama to offer his congratulations and concede the race. He implored his backers to fall in line behind Obama and put aside partisan bickering. And, he pushed back on a smattering of boos and shouts of “No-Bama! and “Reverend Wright,” a reference to Obama’s incendiary former pastor.

“Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans,” McCain said. “No association has ever meant more to me than that.”

Prayers, tears, traffic jams — and hopes

They danced in the streets, wept, lifted their voices in prayer and brought traffic to a standstill. From the nation’s capital to Los Angeles, Americans celebrated Barack Obama’s victory and marveled that they lived to see the day that a black man was elected president.

“I was born in the civil rights time. To see this happening is unbelievable. We’ve got the first black president. A black president!” said Mike Louis, a 53-year-old black man who got teary-eyed as he watched the election results on a giant video board in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square. “It’s not cured now, but this is a step to curing this country of racism. This is a big, giant step toward getting this country together.”

In Washington, hundreds of residents spilled into the streets near the White House, carrying balloons, banging on drums and chanting, “Bush is gone!” Along U Street, once known as America’s Black Broadway for its many thriving black-owned shops and theaters, men stood on car roofs, waving American flags and Obama posters.

Nearby, at historically black Howard University, hundreds of students erupted in cheers, broke into song and chanted, “Yes, we did!”

In Philadelphia, thousands of blacks and whites converged at City Hall shortly after Obama was declared the winner. Under a light rain, they danced to the music blaring from car radios. Drivers stopped in the middle of the street, opened their car doors and broadcast Obama’s acceptance speech.