I spent election night at the Frontline Club with the London American Expat meetup group. The Frontline Club is a hot spot for London journalists, so my colleagues and I were right at home. I went with a couple of other Americans on my course, along with an Italian, an Irishman and an Australian.
When we arrived around 9 p.m. local time, the place was fairly packed. As the results from Kentucky and Indiana came in, the mood seemed to go a bit sour. Most of the Americans I talked to at the event were hoping the Democrats would make a strong showing.
Of those I talked to, there were mixed feelings about Obama, though nearly everyone admitted they supported him strongly in 2008. There is a general fascination over here with the Tea Party, and, of course, with Sarah Palin.
As the projections continued to come in, the crowd began to dwindle. I was one of the last to leave, around 2:30 a.m. local time, because I was waiting for results from Iowa. What surprised me most was that at 2:00 a.m. only five people were left, and only two of them American (myself and the guy who organized the event).
The organizer said in 2008, they held an election watch party and 4,000 people came. He estimated that for this watch party about 125 came. The midterm elections may not provide as much drama as a presidential year, but it's a shame they don't draw the same interest.
The night itself was very interesting, and my apologies to those who expected better live tweeting coverage. I became so wrapped up in conversation with different people (American and non-American) that it became difficult to stay connected on my phone. All things, considered, a good problem to have.
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