Obama Fever Grips Residents http://thecoaster.net/wordpress/2008/11/06/obama-fever-grips-residents/ By PAUL BOOTH Like Senator Barack Obama’s campaign for the presidency, Asbury Park City Councilman Ed Johnson’s Election Night party at Cameo Bar started slowly and built to a crescendo. People filed into the Main Street pub starting at around 7:30 p.m., and election results started trickling in soon after. A buffet lined the back wall, but the pro-Obama crowd was too nervous to eat. To calm their nerves they mostly took seats at the bar, eyes riveted on the flat screen televisions in front of them. The night started with a declaration for John McCain. "Our first state has been called," the television (tuned to either CNN or MSNBC but never FOX News) announced. "Kentucky goes for John McCain." A collective groan rose from the crowd. It was growing antsy from nervous excitement and clearly wanted a reason to cheer. "Aw, he can have it," a woman at the bar declared defiantly with a dismissive wave of her wrist. It would be her mantra for the remainder of the evening any time a state fell into the McCain camp.
A short time later Obama was given Vermont, and the Electoral Vote count held at 8-3 in favor of McCain. Then, it happened, what everyone in the room had been waiting for all night, some all their lives, to see. Like a domino effect, Obama victories in states throughout the northeast splashed across the screen. "New Jersey goes to Barack Obama," the television announced, and a roar went over the crowd. Nine other states would follow New Jersey’s lead and the crowd at Cameo shifted from quiet nervousness to emotional glee. In the rear of the bar, All American DJ Dru was spinning "Ain’t No Stooping us Now." "I'm a first time voter, and I really got involved," said Lorenzo Smith an Asbury Park resident who was present at the event. Smith, 40, registered himself three months ago and also got other people to register. Smith mentioned the economy as one main reason for getting so deeply involved in this election, but "this is an historic moment," he said, "and definitely electing us a black president would do us some justice." The bar was becoming a buzz of excitement, of people on the verge of realizing a dream. Ed Johnson said Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy summed up his and many other people’s feelings best. "She said she never could relate to people who came up to her and said how much her father meant to them and how much hope he gave them until she met Barack Obama, and that’s how I feel," Johnson said. At a victory party on Grand Avenue in Asbury Park Obama supporters left the TV and went out into the street cheering after they heard the news Obama won. Neptune Mayor Randy Bishop, a Democrat who was celebrating the victory of fellow Democrat Kevin McMillan in Neptune, said he was very pleased with the outcome of the national election. "I am very excited about what this says about our country looking to the future. As Obama said, we are not just Republicans or Democrats but are a group of people faced with many challenges. I believe Obama is the right person to help us all to realize the dream that is America," he said. Bishop said he was concerned many times that voter apathy or over confidence would upset the election against Obama. "I was so heartened here in Neptune as I went to polling places and saw the voter turnout and the spirit of the people voting. I knew I was witnessing something big and important," he said. Back at the Cameo when the news outlets called Pennsylvania and, a short time later, Ohio for Obama, the crowd knew the end was near, but almost struck with fear from what they had seen in the past two elections, kept their celebrations rather muted. "I'll be more relaxed when Florida or Virginia goes to Obama," said Tabitha Terry, who took her daughter to vote for the first time on Tuesday. "But I've seen what’s happened in the past elections, these things can be something else." It appeared now that 2008 would be no repeat of the previous two presidential elections and that this one had started down it’s destined course. "Very superstitious," Stevie Wonder sang to the crowd, who for one night allowed themselves to forget the past and dream of the future. "The writing’s on the wall." Read more about your town by picking up The Coaster at your local newsstand or _subscribe today_ (http://thecoaster.net/wordpress/subscribe-to-the-coaster/) . **************AOL Search: Your one stop for directions, recipes and all other Holiday needs. Search Now. (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212792382x1200798498/aol?redir=http://searchblog.aol.com/2008/11/04/happy-holidays-from -aol-search/?ncid=emlcntussear00000001) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
