Liveblogging the Patrick Post-Primary Party

I just got set up.  My vantage point doesn’t let me mingle too much, but I’ve seen Scott Harshbarger, Jarett Barrios, and Mike Capuano so far.

Everyone is very upbeat.  The results I’ve seen so far favor Patrick, though the only ones I know right now are four precincts in Watertown (Patrick 747, Reilly 684, Gabrieli 376).  Reports from our part of the state were that turnout was at town council levels.

They just flashed the current projections (4% of the precincts reported) and the room EXPLODED seeing Patrick’s lead.

They just introduced “performing artist” Charles Turner.  He’s singing “My Way”.  Scattered applause, but no one is paying much attention so far.

They’ve got NECN on the screen, and they’ve been showing the town-by-town results from the boston.com website.  I don’t understand how that makes compelling television.  They’re not talking about bloggers now!  Where do we fit into the the new campaigns — what sort of campaign finance rules apply?  I’ll tell you exactly where we fit in — in the back, behind the risers.

CBS4 Projects Deval Patrick the winner!  The crowd goes wild!  Well, for a minute anyway.  Now everyone’s back about their business, as if they expected this all along.

NECN just announced that Reilly and Gabrieli are making their concession speeches and declared the race over.  The only thing that stopped the cheering was John Walsh on the TV, as everyone listens in.  After every pause, people go crazy!

Charles Turner is back on stage singing “The Impossible Dream” to wild applause. 

The mood, by the way hasn’t really changed since they announced his victory.  Maybe it’s because we knew this would happen all along, or maybe people are just waiting for the main event. Everything else is just filler.

Tom Reilly’s concession speech is on now.  People are really applauding him, and particularly his kind words about Patrick’s campaign.  Hey, that was us, after all.  “He has my congratulations and he has my support.” — everyone cheers.  One person who hit the bar a little too hard already jeered, but the people around him were not having any of it.

Okay, they just flashed BMG up on NECN.  This is the strangest thing I’ve ever been involved in.  I’m blogging about the event I’m attending, it’s being reported on NECN, which is being broadcast at the event, and I’m reporting on that.  Is that meta enough for you, or what?

I’m having a hard time updating.  My guess is the site is getting hammered after being on television.  I’m moving over to textpad blogging, and I’ll update the rest as it goes.

The screen shows Patrick 47%, Gabrieli 29%, Reilly 24%.  The place just erupted.  As Gabrieli concedes, it erupts again.  “I call on all my supporters to rally behind him.”  Many more cheers.  Now as Gabrieli tears into Healey, the room is all smiles.

Gabrieli is getting a little bit of a better reception than Reilly, but I can’t tell if that’s the noise from the monitors, or just because the room is more crowded as people continue to file in.

NECN flashes the Herald website and again the crowd goes wild.

They just flashed the podium here on the screen and the place just turned electric.  People are chanting “Patrick, Patrick!”  Forget about hearing anything else, it is an ocean of noise, which barely quiets as Senator Barrios manages to get on television.  Heck, I can barely even hear the feedback over the crowd.

Kerry is apparently on his way here.  They just called the race for Tim Murray and there was a lot of applause, as you might expect.

Boos and hisses as Kerry Healey takes the screen.  The feed mercifully cuts out, and breaks into Deval’s Obama speech ad to thunderous ovations.  I feel like I’m going to run out of synonyms for “applause” tonight.  Someone help me out here.

The screen went blank, the crowd erupted into the “Patrick, Patrick” chant, and there was a shift as people started to anticipate Deval taking the stage.  The place is now wall-to-wall people.  I don’t even think I could shoehorn my way to the bar!

Now they’re chanting something incomprehensible.  “Yes we can”?  then “Seize the day”.  Well, they’re excited anyway.

Josh has requested a .08 acres liveblog shout out to “Jeff”.  He’s the one who led me back here, so why not?  Also, as long as I’m shouting out, fellow Watertown resident Warren Tolman is doing a great job on NECN so far.  Anyone watching David at home?

They put up the latest results — Patrick 49%, Gabrieli 28%, Reilly 23%.  Incredible!

I just noticed that the balcony is packed with supporters holding window signs like bunting.

The Internet guy on NECN is now talking about how I’m talking about him talking about me after RD Sahl specifically asked him about Blue Mass Group. Let’s see how far we can take this.  It’s like when you look at a mirror through a mirror into infinity!

Then there was some clapping in unison, and they’re playing the “you can hear the justice in his voice” ad.  Actually, now they’re repeating all of his ads, it looks like they’ve given up on NECN for now.

Chuck Turner comes back on singing the Star Spangled Banner.  The crowd joins in.  Almost everyone’s singing, you can’t hear the side conversations any more.  It’s really moving.  But now’s he’s singing something I’m unfamiliar with and the moment’s over.

More chanting.  This time “We want Deval” and “Nancy, Nancy!” for Nancy O’Connor Stolberg, the campaign’s Field Director.

Gabrieli is now being introduced on stage to a very enthusiastic response.

But that pales in comparison to the reaction to “Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Deval Patrick.”  Open your window, you can probably still hear this no matter where you are in the Commonwealth!  Patrick opens up, in fact with “Let them hear that on Beacon Hill.”

First, on Tom Reilly and Chris Gabrieli (more cheers).  He never doubted the sincere commitment to service they each brought to the campaign.  He welcomes their pledge of support and proud to be a member of a party that counts them both among its leaders.

“We turned a political campaign into a movement for change.  And we did it the old fashioned way.”

The speech is just getting an amazing response, as you would expect.  He can barely get through a sentence without people breaking into, let’s say, acclamation.  It started out much like an altered version of his stump speech, and then grew into something amazing.  He layed into the Romney/Healey record, talked about his politics of hope, everything we’ve come to expect, with more of the rhetorical flourishes he’s now famous for.  If you missed it, I’m sure it will be up on the web.  The Patrick campaign has promised that they’ll send me a copy, which I’m sure will be posted on BMG and at my place.

From my notes:

“I look forward to the coming contest.  Are you ready?”, followed by another spontaneous burst of “Yes we can!”

Diane Patrick is getting almost as big a response as he did!

Tim Murray is up on stage now with Deval.  The crowd loves him.

Once the cameras got out of the way, I finally got a chance to get up on those risers and see the crowd.  I knew a lot og people were here, but this is amazing.  Hey, I can see Mass Revolution Now, Susan from Beyond 495 from here!

Okay, now it’s a bloggers party in the back!

Well folks, I’ve been on-the-clock since 6AM today.  Hope you enjoyed the liveblog.  Don’t expect me to liveblog the inaugural ball, unless I can do it from the
bar.