Party faithful gather to celebrate, bemoan wins and losses

By Amanda Finnegan (contact), Kyle Hansen (contact)

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 | 3:08 a.m.

Republican Watch Party at the Palazzo

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The Republican Watch Party Election night at the Palazzo.

Democratic Watch Party at Rio

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People attending the Democratic Watch Party awaited results from the presidential election and state congressional races.

Election Day in Las Vegas

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Obama speaks as president-elect

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Get the results of Tuesday's races

Will Nevada be better or worse off in 4 years?

Party faithful turned out in droves Tuesday night to watch election results with their kindred. For Nevada Democrats, who celebrated at the Rio, the night spiraled into a festive party. Over at the Palazzo, however, Republicans commiserated in their defeat in key local and national races.

For the GOP, the two zingers of the night were the victories of Barack Obama and Dina Titus. While Jill Derby’s defeat by Dean Heller stung, and no one rejoiced when it was learned that Melissa Woodbury had defeated Allison Herr, Nevada Democrats had a myriad of reasons to celebrate Tuesday night.

About an hour into the state Dems’ election night celebration, a worker warned the crowd that if anyone left the Brasilia Ballroom, he or she might not be allowed back in because the 1,500-person capacity had already been exceeded.

Wild cheers interrupted an announcement when a TV screen flashed the big news of the evening: Barack Obama was the projected winner of the presidential election.

The crowded room continued to swell as the energy level in the room escalated.

“I’ve seen a lot of people weeping,” said Susanna Schell, a volunteer with the Obama campaign who came to Las Vegas from San Francisco.

“A lot of people in this room have been volunteering, working for the last 12 hours,” she said. “A lot of people here have been working really hard and now it’s time to celebrate.”

Linda Penn, a southeast Las Vegas resident, was one of those visibly moved while watching the televised coverage of Obama’s speech.

“I’m so excited I can’t stand it,” she said. “I’m thrilled to take a part in it. We almost missed it because we were out working.” Penn said she and her husband were knocking on doors until 5:30 p.m., urging people to get out and vote.

“We didn’t expect the results so early,” she said.

Linda’s son, Derek, laughed as he teased his mom about her “obsession” with Obama.

“She loves Obama more than her own son,” he said.

She smiled, but didn’t deny it.

“I told my husband that tonight he takes second place to Barack,” she added.

Despite the Democrats’ sweeping success in local races, the focus of the evening was on Obama and the presidential campaign.

“It’s been wonderful watching the results coming in,” said Henderson resident Aaron Ford, who is a member of the Clark County Democratic Party executive board.

Ford had his three sons and a nephew with him to watch the results of a historic election.

Pointing to Obama on the TV screen, he said, “I want my kids to look up and see that they were born into a country that is better than the country that I was born into.”

Ford was just one of a number of the party-goers who came with children and teens in-tow.

“I brought my children. It just shows (them) that you can do whatever you want to do. In America, you can be whatever you want to be,” said Summerlin resident Latosha Perry. “I like the melting pot of America that I see here. It’s so great. I feel like I’m attending a wedding, it’s so exhilarating.”

The party drew people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Sharon Coats, of Southern Highlands, sported a blue shirt that boldly proclaimed, “Another old white woman for Obama.” She said her sister, who lives in Virginia, had made several shirts for them to sport in their respective swing states.

“I think that if it was up to us Nevadans, we would still be in a red state,” Coats said. A volunteer for the Obama campaign, she and her husband opened their home in the final weeks of the campaign to out-of-state volunteers. She said that those who came to the Silver State from elsewhere were an important part of the Democrats’ success.

While the celebration at the Rio it was an all-out bash, the Republicans marked a more somber evening. Hoping for the best, Republican candidates and their families took over the Sportsbook Bar and Grill at the Palazzo for a formal dinner and watch party, but most went home disappointed.

Incumbent Rep. Jon Porter and Clark County Commissioner candidate Brian Scroggins made appearances before ducking out to watch results in a private screening room. State Sen. Joe Heck stood nervously by his family as he anxiously watched the returns.

The mood quickly changed from hopeful to gloomy as newscasters announced McCain’s defeat.

Supporters slowly filed out of the party after the announcement, leaving only faithful local Republicans awaiting the final word.

“I’m very disappointed to see John McCain and Sarah Palin were not elected,” Las Vegas resident Shmuel Oppenheim said.

Oppenheim, the rabbi at a messianic synagogue in Las Vegas, said he felt the McCain-Palin ticket shared many of his values, with the issue of abortion being at the forefront.

“I hope that we will have someone in the future who will stick to conservative principles,” Oppenheim said.

Out-of-state Republicans from Arizona, California and Utah who traveled to Nevada to help with the last-minute campaign push joined local supporters at the Palazzo Tuesday night.

David Hunsaker and his sister, Katie Hunsaker, traveled with the Brigham Young University Campus Republicans from Provo to help get out the vote. The group arrived in Clark County on Friday.

“We can’t believe that Americans can be so blind as to chose socialism when that’s what our founding fathers fought against,” Katie Hunsaker said after Obama’s victory was announced.

“We’re disappointed but we still believe in America. Even though Obama won the electoral vote by a landslide, I’m encouraged by the popular vote,” David Hunsaker said.

While many Republicans seemed discouraged by the Democratic sweep both nationally and locally, Michael Ramirez of Las Vegas remained hopeful.

“For the most part, I think this is a time when we can come together as a party and say, ‘Let’s move forward.’ I think in the grand scheme of things, it’s a positive. I really do,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said he feels this time of transition should be a time when Republicans regroup and welcome back party members who might have strayed.

Though the night didn’t turn out as Republicans had hoped, Ramirez said he is confident the party will bounce back.

“Initially, people felt defeated. But we are an active party. It is our obligation to represent the people whose voice is unheard in the new administration,” Ramirez said. “He is the president-elect and as Americans, we will stand by our president … But, we will act as checks-and-balances.”

Discussion: 11 comments so far…

By asylum1

11/5/08 at 7:49 a.m.

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"...Americans can be so blind as to chose socialism..." Are you kidding me?? I'm far from being a socialist but what exactly has the neo-con movement brought America in the last eight years?? If you want more of that, I'd say Ms. Hunsaker and her ilk are the ones with the vision problem.
By KDR81

11/5/08 at 8:58 a.m.

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There won't be any change. Republicans became the party of big government, what will Obama offer?

http://npri.org/blog/laissez-journalism

http://npri.org/blog/what-will-republica...
By PatriciaLV

11/5/08 at 10:45 a.m.

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Actually, "what our founding fathers fought against" was an oligarchy but please don't let facts get in the way of a good whine.
By redferret

11/5/08 at 10:46 a.m.

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Sorry but what does Palin offer to Alaskans? Oh, a check from Big Oil handed out to every single resident, aka spreading their wealth around. I'm still puzzling over how socialism means just a few % points more in taxes for the rich. Is there some magical line that gets crossed there?
By redferret

11/5/08 at 10:49 a.m.

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LOL, I just caught that Patricia.
So... the "redcoats" were actually communist regulars sent from England? Hessians were East German all-stars sent from the Soviet Bloc? Wasn't the Communist Manifesto published in or around 1848/9?
Talk about blinders on. Well have fun back at BYU.
By PatriciaLV

11/5/08 at 10:57 a.m.

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Oligarchy? Monarchy would be closer to correct.

Don't I feel stupid now. LOL.
By ksiffermann

11/5/08 at 4:09 p.m.

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I give my whole hearted congratulations to Mr. Obama on his historical achievement. Unlike Democrats, I will give him my support and respect that our President deserves, of course without giving up my conservative principles. Hopefully now there will be no more excuses for the American citizens, and that it will be accepted that with a hard work and dedication anything can be accomplished no matter who you are. In addition, I pray this will put end to hate groups like the KKK and the Black Panthers.
By hemingde

11/5/08 at 10:37 p.m.

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You're right--we didn't fight socialists in the Revolution. However, we fought against too much government. We fought for the right to govern ourselves without too much government intervention. Now, with Obama's election, the nation is changing its plea and asking the government to do more, to give them more programs, to "spread the wealth around," to mandate things that our founding fathers never would have dreamed of giving the government responsibility for. Our founding fathers asked for equal opportunity, not equal results. Furthermore, the United States fought extreme socialism (communism) after WWII. Can't those leaders of our nation be counted as some of our founding fathers?
By PatriciaLV

11/6/08 at 4:17 a.m.

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You can't just make up definitions to your liking, despite having been able to do that for more than seven years now. Life doesn't work that way.

Communism is NOT "extreme socialism". Do you people ever look up the definition of anything before you use it??

And NO, the founding fathers did NOT fight "against too much government" - they fought against TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. IOW, a monarch who sat an ocean away was imposing taxes on the Colonies **without the Colonies being represented to speak for themselves**. How you equate that to "too much government" is quite the stretch.

Where do you get your information? NewsMax? Hate radio?
By johnevegas

11/6/08 at 4:43 a.m.

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"TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION"

This describes exactly I've felt for the last eight years, beginning with our conservative court deciding that the conservative candidate would be president.

Since that time, I have watched that appointed president erode the checks and balances, ignore and/or attempt to degrade or reinterpret the constitution, step on our rights, my rights, as if they are a matter of his convenience.

So, ya, I think I get the notion of taxation without representation, and can see why our founding fathers were a little upset about it.
By slyguy

11/9/08 at 7:59 a.m.

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Ms. Hunsaker -

You are responding to this like a fanatic and I think your views are heavily biased and skewed. I'm not pro Obama, but I do think that he can do a decent job as our president. I think he can do more for our country than McCain can. If you think that everyone who voted for Obama wants socialism, I'd say you jump too quickly to conclusions. Don't think Americans are as stupid and as blind as you say they are because you might have some blind spots yourself.

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