Election report from New Orleans

So last night, I went to an election-watching party at the home of a casual friend who, not surprisingly, was a die-hard Hillary fan. Also not surprisingly, everyone else there was a Hillary fan, too. I wasn't going to go at first, but then I caught the first round of poll results and wondered if maybe...just maybe...

If Hillary did lose, watching it happen with a yard full of her loyalists would be freaking epic.

Besides, there was free food and booze at this party.

So I went over, and I enjoyed some good food and drank several nice craft beers, which were plentiful because they had a pretty good victory party planned. Every time some little socialist east-coast blue state would declare for Hillary, they'd cheer and shout "270! 270!" It was going to go all night and they were rolling. But then North Carolina happened. And Florida. suddenly the cheering died away. Virginia came so close that people were noticing the obvious: Hillary's voters weren't turning out in the urban cores, but Trump's sure were in the rural areas. Ohio went Trump, and there was shock and anxiety now. Could it happen? Could Trump hit 270 and take it?

I just popped the top off another tasty craft beer and watched.

Then Pennsylvania went from blue to red as Trump took the lead. So did Michigan. Now they were worried and getting a bit drunk. A couple of women in particular began to cry and to scream obscenities. Then WISCONSIN?! Didn't see that one coming. They were buoyed for a brief bit as New Mexico and Colorado were predicted for Hillary, but then Utah and Arizona went "probably Trump" and Pennsylvania was called for Trump.

Damn, those beers were good. It was the only thing keeping me from smugging.

Everybody left at around 1 Central Time. The mood was positively funereal. I thanked my sad host as he unplugged the big TV and headed home myself, after asking if I could take a few of the left-over beers with me, since no one else seemed to be drinking them.

I got home shortly thereafter and watched the coverage for a bit, and when I was sure that we weren't going to get any surprises, I went to bed, only to be awakened like three hours later by the first text crowing about the results. (Thanks, Aaron.)

I got up and surfed the local news forums, and the despair and outrage were everywhere. Everyone was shocked, and angry at everyone else who did not vote for Hillary. I went in to work, and it was evident there, too. Most of where I work is pretty liberal and big on crap like global warming and diversity so you can figure out where they stood. But me and a few like-minded individuals exchanged smug grins all morning.

Later, I went across the river to the West Bank and the more rural areas in Barataria and Jean Lafitte. The smug was everywhere there. Practically every old cajun was walking around with a satisfied grin, eager to ask me how I was doing. And I smiled back and told them all that I was doing great.

Now I'm home again. I'm happy but tired. I think I'm going to have me a craft beer or two and hit the hay. Heh.