NPR News

After a shaky few years, President Obama's health care legacy looks secure.

His health overhaul law barely made it through Congress and to his desk. Then there were the legal challenges, launched when the ink of his signature was barely dry, that were resolved by a surprising Supreme Court ruling in June.

Two-Way readers were pretty smart about when we would hear who won the White House.

It was 11:29 p.m. ET last night when we posted the news that "Obama wins."

And:

"Between 10 p.m. ET and midnight Tuesday" was the most popular choice by the 13,801 readers who answered our "when will we know who won?" question. It was picked by 32.2 percent.

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. We're sure you know this by now, but just in case, President Obama won reelection and will serve a second term in office.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I believe we can seize this future together, because we are not as divided as our politics suggest. We are not cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America.

Host Michel Martin has been checking in with two former speechwriters throughout the election season to sort through the rhetoric, and find out what messages struck a chord with voters. She reviews campaign messaging, and Tuesday night's victory and concession speeches with former presidential speechwriters Mary Kate Cary and Paul Orzulak.

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Now, we want to turn to the international arena. The race for the White House last night had people around the world glued to their TVs and radios and reaction is pouring in from political figures around the globe.

Here is a small sample of what we've been hearing, starting with a spokesperson for the Afghan Foreign Ministry.

JENAN MOUSSA: We look forward to advancing our existing strong, broad, multifaceted partnership with the United States.

CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL: (Foreign language spoken)