KPCC Election 2008

Time to discuss the election

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:43:04 -0800

How are you feeling today? It was a huge election, and it’s finally over. We want your comments.

Obama won with at least 349 electoral votes and 52% of the popular vote
Democrats made gains in Congress, but didn’t get a get filibuster-proof 60 in the Senate
California narrowly passed Prop 8’s gay marriage ban

Post your comments on all this and more!

Election Night wrap-up... more tomorrow!

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:21:35 -0800

Full national results: See the NPR election map below.
Results for state and local ballot measures: The LA Times.

We still want to hear from you about your election experiences and reactions. Post your comments here!

We’ll have LOTS of election follow-up Wednesday, so be sure to come back.

Happy Election, y’all!

The Party is On...

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:12:28 -0800

…In every sense of the word. The elder statesman at the Obama CA party have left the building and the Hyatt Century City has turned into a nightclub, complete with booming music, plenty of intoxicated revelers and even the scent of marijuana smoke.

Yes, Obama-heads celebrated the victory of Obama and commiserated over the lead Prop 8 has by celebrating the passage of Prop 215. Even the potheads are political here tonight. Hey, if Obama inhaled in his youth and admitted to it, can it be so bad?

As the smell of marijuana drifted over the press corps it was funny to watch each cameraman, anchor, producer and write raise their noses into the air, take a few sniffs, and then smile knowingly to each other.

A scene from earlier in the operation room of the Victory Party: the organizers were trying their best to keep Mayor Villaraigosa off stage—but, surprise, surprise, the slippery Mayor still made his way to the microphone.

That’s it from us; the KPCC staff is going to cut loose on the dance floor and breathe in deeply.

Reactions to the election? Post them here!

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:37:00 -0800

We want to hear how your day was (is), and what your reactions are to the election.

Election Night 2008: Scenes from the KPCC studios

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:03:47 -0800

As you can imagine, it’s been a busy and exciting day/night at KPCC. Our Chief Lance Harper took some photos capturing scene here in the Pasadena studios.

We had a full house here today, with hosts, producers, news director and editor, online editorial staff (!), engineers, IT folks, and special guests. Not forgetting our reporters and producers out in the field. It’s been an exhilarating day to work in news…

Bill Jones may be talking, but who's listening?

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:54:04 -0800

Bill Jones, the McCain California campaign chairman, was scheduled to speak tonight at an unfortunate time - right in the middle of the Obama acceptance speech. Think anyone was listening to him? The McCain supporters, certainly. But all the reporters were focused elsewhere….

Reporter's Notebook--Adolfo Guzman-Lopez at the McCain CA Party

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:07:57 -0800

Some eyes welled up under a tent at the Irvine Hyatt as Senator McCain conceded the presidential election just before 8:30 p.m. West Coast time. This speech from Phoenix is the last thing these people wanted to see and hear tonight. Some saw it coming weeks ago. There are several hundred Republicans faithful under this small tent. Most here knocked on doors, donated small and large amounts of their money, and some ran for office under the GOP ticket. The most vigorous applause came after Senator John McCain talked abut the bright future in the party for his vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin and after McCain finished his concession speech. Vietnam veteran Manny Montanez of South Orange County told KPCC he’s disappointed in the presidential loss but he remains loyal to the party.

People booed minutes ago, when Brack Obama began giving his victory speech. The chair of California’s Republican Party, Ron Nehring, said “OK, we’ve heard enough of that.” And the audio of Obama’s speech was immediately cut off. California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, a Republican, is at the podium telling all those gathered that the problem is with the Republican leadership in Washington D.C.

Tears and Disappointment at the McCain CA Party

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:24:52 -0800

The crowd was silent during the McCain concession speech - there were even a few tears and a couple of boos when McCain congratulated Obama and Biden. But the evening continues here at the McCain CA party - it’s getting a little more crowded, we might even squeeze 200 people under this tent (quite a contrast to the size of the Obama CA party as blogged about below). The highlight of the evening? A quartet of young a cappella singers who successfully lightened the mood here - no easy feat - with their patriotic lyrics.

Intense emotion--the buzz words from Obama CA party

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:19:26 -0800

The excitement in the room is electric—girls are standing behind the press gallery screaming at the top of their lungs, seemingly at random. When CNN projected Obama as the winner the roar of the crowd was truly defeaning.

Antonio Villaraigosa just pushed his way through throngs of people. State Superintendent Jack O’Connell just spoke about defeating Proposition 8. Now Barbara Boxer is playing the role of responsible den mother, hushing the crowds to tell a serious story about her childhood and her sick mother. How this relates to Obama’s victory we’re not sure, but she’s probably going somewhere deep.

The mood here is so intense it’s almost surly. And McCain is now conceding, you can’t even hear what he’s saying.

Breaking News: NPR Projects Obama Wins Election

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:12:42 -0800

NPR and CNN project that Senator Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. wins the election and will be elected the 44th president of the United States.

Long Faces at the McCain-Palin "Party" in Irvine...

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:07:21 -0800

The news of the projected win by Obama has dampened the already subdued mood among Republicans at the McCain-Palin “party” here in Irvine. Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has arrived and is making the rounds with local TV and radio news stations. The “war room” is right around the corner where the California Republican party has turned its attention away from the Presidential race to focus on California congressional and state seats. The music just began (country) and the bar is open, but this party feels like its already over….before it even began.

Reporter's Notebook--Frank Stoltze at the Obama CA Victory Party

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:01:30 -0800

Century Plaza Hotel a madhouse as thousands gather for Obama victory party. Biggest political party in Los Angeles since the recall election that swept Arnold Schwarzenegger into office in 2003. Lots of young people, African Americans, Democratic party apparatchik and electeds. Talked to one financial planner who was raised in Eritrea. He’s proud America elected its first black president. So is his father back home. They talked by phone earlier and his father expressed hopes an Obama administration would do more to help African countries. The campaigning lasted until the last minute, with a phone bank set up in the lobby outside the main ballroom here, where callers urged people to the polls.

The Media Shoving Match is On at the Obama CA party

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:59:46 -0800

I know that the real action is at the main Obama victory rally in Chicago, but we’re doing our best to show overwhelming enthusiasm here in L.A. as well. There are thousands of Obama-heads streaming into the Century City Hyatt, and there are almost as many media set up here as adoring supporters of the Democratic supporter.

KPCC is wedged in between KFI on one side and KNX on another, and you’ll be happy to know that we’ve tapped into the power supplies of our bigger commercial radio brethren. There is already intense pushing and shoving to get at the few noteworthy surrogates and elected Democrats that are in the room.

Your producer and correspondent will do our best to sabotage the broadcasts of our rival stations—oh, and we’ll also produce our usual top-notch programming.

The huge TV’s showing CNN in the main ballroom call Virginia for Obama, and the crowd goes nuts….many more of those moments to come, I’m sure.

Projected states so far (AP and NPR) - updated 7:25 p.m.

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:25:19 -0800

McCain: Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, N. Dakota, Wyoming, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, West Virginia, Utah, Texas, and Georgia (135 electoral votes)

Obama: Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Rhode Island, Ohio, New Mexico, Iowa, Virginia, and the District of Columbia (220 electoral votes)

Too Close to Call: Florida, Indiana, and North Carolina

Senate Races:

Hagan (D-NC)
Rockefeller (D-West Virginia)
Durbin (D-Illinois)
Kerry (D-Massachusetts)
Biden (D-Delaware)
Warner (D-Virginia)
Shaheen (D-New Hampshire)
Collins (R-Maine)
Reed (D-Rhode Island
Lautenberg (D-New Jersey)
Graham (R-South Carolina)
McConnell (R-Kentucky)
Alexander (R-Tennessee)
Sessions (R-Alabama)
Levin (D-Michigan)
Harkin (D-Iowa)
Pryor (D-Arkansas)
Johnson (D-South Dakota)
Roberts (R-Kansas)
Inhofe (R-Oklahoma)
Cornyn (R-Texas)
Udall (D-New Mexico)
Enzi (R-Wyoming)
Barrasso (R-Wyoming)
Baucus (D-Montana)

Current Senate Tally: Democrats 52, Republicans 37 (3 Democratic pickups so far)

The McCain-Palin Party in Irvine is (very) slowly coming to life....

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:03:58 -0800

We’re at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine where the festivities have yet to begin. Mostly its just reporters and press people for the California GOP waiting around. We’re in what appears to be a hastly erected tent near the hotel pool. Its small, so they must not be expecting a big crowd tonight. California Campaign Chairman Bill Jones and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner should be here shortly. Governor Pete Wilson was expected, but it looks like he has cancelled. More to come as things get underway here in Irvine….

The McCain-Palin party in Irvine…early in the evening