Filed at 10:34 p.m.
68 percent of Durham County voted for John Kerry in 2004 and, as Christine Hall reported, this was the strongest Democratic support of any N.C. County. This year Durham County residents showed even stronger support for Barack Obama, backing him with 75.8 percent of the vote.
Yadkin County, as Ryan Brown reported, was North Carolina’s strongest Republican county in the 2004 presidential race. This year Yadkin supported McCain with 72.8 percent.
Filed at 9:55 p.m.
Attendees at the Dem’s party no longer seem nervous about a potential McCain Victory.
Everyone these reporters have talked to seem to be under the impression that Obama has got this one in the bag.
“I’ll be crying enough to fill up any reservoir if John McCain wins,” said Elethea Watson, retiree and campaign volunteer with the Obama campaign, with a wink and a smile, assured that that is not going to be the outcome of tonight. “I’m not even 70 yet and I have had my senior moments…. You do not want a man in John McCain’s position to be having senior moments.”
The partying continues as the Dems have begun blasting “Celebrate” in between commercials on the major news networks.
Filed 9:25 p.m.
As CNN is showing 174 electoral votes for Obama, 54 for McCain the mood at the party has become even more raucous and joyous.
When New York was shown to go to Obama, along with Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, one woman screeched, wine in hand, “Who needs Wyoming, we got New York, honey!”
Teamsters for Obama are out in full force, rejoicing over a possible Obama victory.
“He’s kicking butt,” said Don Ellis. “We want to see some big numbers tonight.”
Updated at 9:24 p.m.
Reporter Julius Jones has just informed me that CBS and Fox News are projecting a victory for Barack Obama in the state of Ohio. This represents a major victory for the Democrat in a state that President George W. Bush narrowly carried in 2004.
Filed at 8:17 p.m.
Enthusiastic applauding and jubilation here at the Democratic Victory Party every time CNN shows Obama with a 20-point lead in North Carolina, with 4 percent of the precincts reporting. In the national poll, Obama is up 52 percent to 47 percent.
The Hockey Moms for Obama with their sign held high and glued to a hockey stick confess they’ve probably had a little too much to drink after a long, hard campaign and cannot take their eyes off the screen.
Sassily the say, “Sarah Palin DOES NOT represent us.”
In the meantime, an all-girl bluegrass band croons, “Bev Perdue, she’s loyal and she’s true, Bev Perdue for ’08.”
