GOP Partygoers: A Study in Contrasts

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A study in contrasts.

Right at 10 p.m. at tonight’s Republican Party election celebration at Bloomington’s Sheraton Hotel, GOP Chairman Ron Carey and Gov. Tim Pawlenty got a roomful of Republicans rocking.

"We’ve got a lot to be thankful for tonight," Carey told the crowd, which had already been shaken out of its earlier doldrums by news that U.S. Rep. John Kline had easily retaken his seat. Carey predict other victories would be coming in the next hours.

Carey made the house explode when he told the party faithful that the numbers they were seeing on the big-screen TV sets in the corners of the room, which showed the U.S. Senate race deadlocked between U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman and DFLer Al Franken, were wrong.

"When we look behind the scenes at where the votes are coming from, this is very similar to 2006," Carey said. "Were looking at the counties and the areas that haven’t come in yet and we’re very encouraged by the fact that we’re at where we’re at when we have a lot of really strong Republican areas yet to report."

The place really lit up when he announced that Rep. Michele Bachmann was running ahead of Elwyn Tinklenberg with Wright County and Sherburne County showing almost no returns. "There is reason for cautious optimism there, as well."

News came that Rep. Eric Paulsen was showing well in the 3rd District against Democrat Ashwin Madia. "We’re ready to elect Eric Paulsen the next congressman from the 3rd District," he said. "This will be a late night and early morning, but we’ll stay here until 6:30 in the morning to celebrate Republican victories, right?"

The crowd goes wild.

But then …

Moments later, there was no crowd noise at all. Just the sound of the televisions and the air being let out of the room. John McCain was giving his concession speech. There would be no Republican presidential victory to celebrate this warm, windy night.

McCain, whose speech was one of the singularly most compelling of his life, conceded to the suffering of African Americans in this society. "America today is a world away from the cruel, prideful bigotry of [the past]," McCain said as a stunned crowd absorbed the finality of his defeat.

"There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States," McCain said. "Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and his country."

A tall, bald man standing front and center of the crowd gathered around the television silently wept. Others stood, grim-faced, but not angry, staring at the image of their failed candidate as he spoke.

When McCain took responsibility for his defeat, saying, "It’s my fault, not yours," one woman loudly agreed. "It is your fault." But she was alone. Others remained silent, watching in silent and dignified disappointment.

To say it again, study in contrasts.