A cavernous hall at McCormick Place filled with deafening cheers late
Tuesday night as President Barack Obama was re-elected for a second
term, launching a wild celebration among thousands of his supporters.
The
nervous anticipation that marked much of the evening quickly melted as
Obama's victory became clear. People in the crowd danced, hugged and
high-fived as election results streamed in over huge television screens
flanking the stage where Obama would speak. "Twist and Shout" blared
over the loudspeakers, and Julie Lawrenz, 42, twisted nearly to the
ground.
"I'm just really happy," said Lawrenz, of Chicago. "And I'm happy it's over quickly."
The timing of the
announcement came as a surprise, with many in the crowd having been
prepared to wait all night without a declaration of victory. As the win
was announced, supporters screamed and hugged one another, waving
American flags and snapping cell photos of the jumbo TV screens.
Actress
Vivica A. Fox, walking away after finishing a television interview,
froze in her tracks and began to cry. Mayor Rahm Emanuel strode past
her, grinning, on his way backstage. Reporters jumped on tables to get a
better look at it all.
Just moments before the race was called,
two Chicago friends stood clutching each other's hands and anxiously
watching the screen. When it flashed the word "elected," both erupted in
jubilant yells, pulling nearby strangers into hugs. "That one time, I
went to sleep thinking one thing and woke up to learn that George Bush
had won," said Laverne Parker, a substitute teacher from Lisle. "I was
going to stay up all night to make sure. ... But this is better."
Though
the venue for Obama's Tuesday night election-results viewing party
lacked the spectacle of 2008's sprawling event in Grant Park, revelers
made the most of it. Many said they wanted to be part of history.
Personally invested in the campaign, Sylvia Williams, 80, and Mary
Austin, 82, missed their usual night with the Classy Divas bowling
league for an opportunity to hear the president speak at McCormick
Place.
"I'm on top of the world," said Williams, of Markham, who spent weeks working to get out the vote for Obama.
"This is history all over again," said Austin, who lives in Harvey.
Planners
never expected the rally to equal what took place in 2008, when an
estimated 240,000 people streamed into Grant Park to see a victorious
Obama speak. His campaign chose to remain indoors this year, where the
crowd was limited to a few thousand supporters. For Obama supporters who
got a ticket, the change in venue mattered only a little.
"I miss
the skyline and ambience of the city," said Craig Porter, a union
official who attended the Grant Park rally in 2008. "But here, I guess
it's OK. I like it because we are here all together."
Shortly before Obama's win was official, Emanuel said the results showed the breadth of Obama's support.
"Everybody
talks about the president's coalition, heavily in the sense of
minorities and women," Emanuel said. "Iowa, heavily white, heavily old,
and yet he's going to, it looks like, if trends continue, win Iowa. I
think everybody should step back with what they think about, what
they're saying, and take a look at really what's going on."
When
the doors opened around 7:30 p.m., people rushed into the hall, snapping
pictures of themselves and the Obama campaign signs that covered the
walls.
Janice Haywood, who was in Grant Park in 2008, arrived at
McCormick Place with her 5-year-old daughter more than six hours before
supporters were allowed to enter.
"My heart didn't start pumping
until all the people started coming in," said Haywood, clutching toys
and a laptop that she had used to entertain her daughter in the hours
before the doors opened.
Having a black president has been
important for both of her children, said Haywood, who also is
African-American and has an 8-year-old son.
"It is so important
for my kids to see the president," said Haywood, 43, of Bolingbrook.
"(They) look through the presidents at school and now (they) can see
someone who looks like them."
Bridget Turner, 41, of Homewood said
she and her children attended Obama's election night rally at Grant
Park in 2008, and they all volunteered for his 2012 campaign. She
donated money to the campaign, made phone calls and canvassed
neighborhoods on the president's behalf.
"I can say I had a hand in history," she said. "I'm very excited about that."
Illinois
Gov. Pat Quinn described Obama's re-election campaign as distinctly
different from the 2008 "movement campaign" four years ago: "The
president inspired, literally, hundreds of thousands of volunteers all
across America to take on the super PACS and show what grass-roots
democracy is all about."
Quinn added that another four years of
Obama — whom he described as a supporter of the middle class — would be
good for Illinois. "The president has been very good to Illinois from
day one," Quinn said. "The president rode to our rescue."
Genise
Smith-Watkins, of Matteson, said she began her day shortly after
sunrise, loading volunteers on a bus to canvass Iowa and arranging phone
calls in the president's south suburban campaign office. She left
around 1 p.m. to head to McCormick Place, confident she had done all she
could to help her candidate win.
"I feel good. I feel good about the president winning and I feel good about my contribution."
