KEITH ENRIQUEZ/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Janet
Foster(center) raises a fist in excitement after hearing
some positive news about Vice President Al Gore at the California
Democrat victory party in Los Angeles last night.
By Timothy Kudo
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Standing room only at downtown L.A.’s Regal Biltmore Hotel
and Larry King’s lips are moving on a projector screen.
The crowd of Democrats gathered to celebrate Vice President Al
Gore’s victory sips their cocktails and their chatter drowns
out King’s examination of the election.
Every so often, an update on the vote count in certain states
flashes on the screen: Arkansas, Iowa, Arizona and Florida, which
were earlier in the night called as Gore’s but later came to
be too close to call.
For every state Gore is ahead in, the crowd screams, yells,
jumps and cheers. For every state in which Texas Gov. George W.
Bush is ahead, they jeer. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader fares
no better with the crowd.
The mix of state, local and national politicians, donors and
Democratic zealots mingles nervously as they await the outcome in
the state that would determine the presidency with its 25 electoral
votes ““ Florida.
The media is present in force, with every local station in
attendance and everyone looks around to see who’s more
important. It’s the middle of one of the closest elections in
history.
“I’m more nervous than I ever wanted to be,”
said Los Angeles City Councilman Alex Padilla. “I’m
ready to stay here all night.”
Both candidates are within range of winning; Bush is ahead but
Florida has enough votes to push either to victory. When the rally
starts at about 9 p.m., the exit polls show Bush ahead by about
100,000 votes.
California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante rises to the podium to rally
the crowd and as he ““ the second highest figure in the state
government ““ speaks, another update flashes on the screen and
the crowd erupts.
As the night goes on, that gap closes slowly with each update
bringing the expectations of the crowd higher and higher.
When it gets to within 10,000, the crowd begins cheering
“Go Al Go,” and some people clasp their hands in
prayer.
Some members of the crowd talk about how important it is for not
only Gore to win, but for Bush to lose.
If Bush wins, “I think it would set the country back 200
years,” said Kedron Nicholson. “He’s not only too
conservative, but he’s an idiot.”
King disappears from the screen as CNN goes to commercial. When
it comes back, two large words are shown prominently, “Bush
Wins.” President Bush took Florida.
Many in the crowd go silent, looking at the ground or to the
ceiling, letting the realization sink in. Some don’t believe
it and some cry, or pray. Many ask nobody in particular,
“what?”
Someone yells, “Let’s move to Canada.”
Republican celebration shots flash on the screen and the
jubilation that once was, is no more.
Everybody begins to leave. Some stay, too upset, too shocked to
go. One woman says Bush will be worse than Richard Nixon. Many of
the people make their way to the full bar in the hotel.
Late into the night, results are still unclear, as several
newspapers on the east coast stopped the presses and went to print
without declaring a winner.
At 1:45 a.m., the election was still too close to call.