Bridget Turner, 41, of Homewood, Ill., explains why she is backing President Barack Obama for a second term.
A cavernous hall at McCormick Place filled with deafening cheers late Tuesday night as unofficial results pointed to the reelection of President Barack Obama, launching a wild celebration among thousands of his supporters.
The nervous anticipation that marked much of the evening quickly melted away as key states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and New Hampshire turned blue for Obama. People in the crowd danced, hugged and high-fived as election results streamed in over huge television screens flanking the stage where Obama was scheduled to give his victory speech. “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.”
While the venue for Obama’s Tuesday night election results watch 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 Markam, 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. The president’s campaign chose to remain indoors this year, where the crowd was limited to a few thousand supporters.
Pausing to talk to reporters as he arrived at McCormick Place, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the election 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 at 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 five-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.”
Democratic Illinois senior Senator Dick Durbin arrived at McCormick Place early and expressed optimism based on the president’s campaign strategy.
“I think we put money in the ground game, the other side put a lot more in media, we'll see what happens,” Durbin said.
Earlier in the evening, uniformed Secret Service agents assembled scanning machines to screen people as they enter the hall. Crews readied a makeshift store in the lobby to sell Obama-themed merchandise ranging from pins and stickers to T-shirts and basketball jerseys.
In the basement of McCormick Place, a food court was set up for reporters. Cedric Daniels of Robinson's Ribs was there and had been slinging pulled pork, pulled turkey and sausage and onion sandwiches since 11 a.m.
Chicago prepares for Obama rally
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Chicago prepares for Obama rally
