It was a collective cheer of joy, but also an exhale of relief. The amount of nervous energy that flowed through this small, stylish nightclub and bar at about 9pm was thick and palpable. People looked sick in the face early on. There were very audible moans and profane utterances when, at approximately 9pm, CNN listed off one Romney victory after another in the Plain States and Deep South that gave him a seemingly comfortable 20-electoral college lead over Obama. But these states yielded only small electoral colleges for Romney compared to the important swing states as Ohio, Florida or the big payoff states such as New York, New Jersey and California.
When Obama began to flip the script on the electoral college count, first by taking the lead and then leaving Romney in his smoke with commanding control with one big-stage win after another, the mood brightened and the drinks flowed with greater frequency. Finally, when the current Oval Office occupants crossed the threshold of the prerequisite 270 electoral colleges to shut down the Romney campaign of hate, bedlum broke out on this dark night on Memorial Drive.
Take a look at some of the best photos from the Election Night watch party at Bar One.
