Emotions and expectations ran rampant at the Double Tree Hotel on Rosedale Highway election night, Nov. 4. Cheers, chants, tears and excitement could be seen and heard as the polls closed at 8 p.m.
Very shortly after 8 p.m., CNN projected that Barack Obama had won the election, becoming the first African-American president in American history. The crowd exploded into celebratory cheers that were even louder than the cheers before.
“I am feeling very elated,” Candi Easter, chairman of the Kern County Democratic Party, said. “It is great new day. I was never really worried that he wouldn’t get the presidency, but I didn’t want to seem too enthusiastic or jinx us.”
Many times throughout the night, the crowd in attendance at the democratic celebration party began chanting, “Obama” or “Si, se puede” meaning, “Yes, it can be done,” while holding up Obama/Biden signs for the numerous television cameras that were at the event.
“This is beyond words,” said Bernita Jenkins, Obama Team Leader for CD22. “It was not a worry of mine of what was going to happen tonight; I didn’t have time to worry.”
Men, women, young and old of different ethnicities showed up for the event to voice their support, excitement and expectations for Obama.
“I hope he will completely change the backward motion of our country,” Easter said.
“I look forward to a change in the economy,” Jenkins said. “I look forward to a group of people, as Americans, coming together, and I look forward to some of our racial distances to be squashed.”
Fran Florez, who ran for California State Assembly against Danny Gilmore, talked with supporters, press and colleagues.
“It is all very historical and exciting,” Florez said. “I hope that some of the things that he has talked about can actually be done because we need positive change.”
Expectations are high for the new president-elect. But those expectations are also hopeful and supportive. As Fran Florez put it: “We’ll see what the next four years bring.”