I got into the office late this afternoon … and then began the long wait. Hours of waiting for results to come in …
We had CNN on the TV, and laughed at their hologram technology. We couldn’t leave alone the fact that it looked like something out of “Star Wars” and Princess Leia pleading “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you're my only hope.” ... Oh, Jon Stewart is going to have fun with this, we kept saying.
We became enthralled in the updates from the major news sites -- MSNBC, The New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post -- and the mechanisms they were using to track the votes. We found it especially fun to track the MSNBC and Times sites, with their live updates and theirs tools that allowed us to click on specific states to get tallies. You could even zoom in to get vote totals from specific counties. I was checking out totals coming into my old residencies and other places of interest. Way cool!
Cell phones were ringing and echoing across the office with text message updates and news alerts …
The anticipation of what was happening mounted as we watched the footage of the crowd in Grant Park …
Our pizza delivery arrived at around 9:30 …
And then at 10:03, seemingly out of nowhere, CNN cast Barack Obama as the President of the United States …
At first, it seemed almost too good to be true …Not only was it the outcome so many of us had been wanting, it seemed way to early to call, given the way things played out in 2000 and 2004 …
But then we saw NBC call it, too, and we watched the footage of jubilant crowds in Chicago. In Times Square. Outside the White House. In Harlem …
It was so over … My friend Laura ran out of the office crying tears of joy. Our editor emerged from his office, greeting us with fist bumps and saying “Change is coming.”
Even more striking, John McCain came out within the hour -- far earlier than any of us had expected -- and conceded the election. You could hear a pin drop as we gathered around the TV to watch him speak …
“… 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.”Around 10:45, I was directed to go to one of the local colleges to check out a report of a riot …
In my car, I immediately turned on the radio and caught the conclusion of McCain’s concession, and then realized I’d stumbled on an obnoxiously Republican station. The commentators began forecasting riots at any moment and other absurd scenes playing out … I promptly changed the station and found WGN …
At the college, it was quite the opposite of a riot. Students had erupted in cheers and were pouring out of residence halls into a courtyard, hugging and shouting “Obama!” I found one group of students dancing on a car and blasting music. I talked to a young black man, proudly wearing an Obama T-shirt, who told me, “I never thought this day would come.”
As I got back in my car, President-elect Obama was about to step to the podium in Grant Park. I listened all the way back to the office, in awe of the moment …
“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where anything is possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”Back at the office, I caught the conclusion of Obama’s acceptance speech and watched as Joe Biden and their families joined them on the stage. Again, we were crowded around the TV. Text messages ringing by the minute …
Words like “transcendent” and “remarkable” were spoken. We mulled our headlines for tomorrow and settled on “Yes he can!”
We mused about the results. Obama had won 56 percent in Wisconsin. 51 percent in Florida. 51 percent in Ohio. 53 percent in Colorado, 56 percent in New Mexico. 55 percent in Pennsylvania. He cleaned up in New England.
Before I left the office I checked my Facebook, too, beaming as I read some of my friends’ status updates -- “Can’t be much happier.” ... “We did really did it =) obama!!!” ... “very happy with the outcome...now then...lets get to work!” ... “glad she stayed up for this- I'm so proud of our country!” ... “thank u america...i applaud you for the first time in 8 yrs.”
And my favorite, “An early bedtime on election night. Good night, President Obama!”
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