One election, two parties, and a strange, wild ride: GOP

By Kate Heinzelman

To Part 2: Dems

On the way to an election night party at the "Victory 2000 for Connecticut" headquarters in New Britain, Howard Clark's, BK '01, cell phone rings. "Hello, hello," Clark, chairman of the Yale College Republicans, says, losing the voice at the other end. It was something about Florida, he says. The news is, like many things in this race, unclear. A few minutes later the phone rings again. Bush is coming up in Florida, but nothing's certain. "It's too close to call," he says—a line that reverberates throughout the election party and late into the night.

As the evening progresses, more Bush supporters gather at the nondescript campaign office in New Britain. A group of about eight Yale Republicans have come and are joined by the Connecticut Students for Bush, another group Clark chairs. Some in the crowd are smartly dressed professionals who have worked on the campaign since the beginning; others were drawn to the campaign over the last few weeks by their contempt for Gore. Still others are the children of supporters, and one is there just for the drinks. All, however, sport Bush 2000 stickers, sharing in the uncertainty of the night.

7:15: There is a general sense of uneasiness at the party. The supporters wander to and from various television sets, as though an answer to the question that plagues the night might be found somewhere in the midst. No one seems sure what the deciding factors will be. Some think Nader will help Bush; others think the Nader factor is no factor at all. Only one thing is evident—it's going to be a long night. "This is great for democracy, all of these close elections," Christian Tyrrell, a West Hartford resident, says.

Yale Republicans—a minority on this largely liberal campus—seem to agree that this election hasn't been the easiest battle for them. "We've become very unpopular because of our views," Clark says. Wallace Dewitt, ES '03, vice chairman of the organization, describes the behavior of Yale students toward the Republicans as "atrocious," saying that whenever they put up posters, they are almost always immediately torn down. "For a campus that prides itself on academic freedom, the idea that a Bush sign should be torn down is ridiculous," Dewitt says. He and the others at the party stress that the Bush campaign has been a positive one. "I'm proud to have worked on this campaign," one young Bush supporter grins.

9:20: Bush wins Ohio and the room is inundated with cheers. "I'm going to Columbus!" one Bush supporter shouts. "That one was needed," another man says, referring to Bush's victory in the Buckeye State.

10:00: Greg Muccilli, chairman of UConn Republicans, shouts, while craning his neck to see the screen, "The race is too close to call!" The major media outlets have just retracted their announcement of a Gore victory in Florida. By now, the room is packed with as many as 200 supporters who squeeze into any remaining space around the televisions. The food ran out hours ago, but no one seems to care. Everyone is focused on the numbers. A series of victories break the intensity in the room, cheers erupting from the viewers as Utah, then New Hampshire and West Virginia come into the victory column. The electoral votes have Bush leading by 15.

When Connecticut State Governor John Rowland appears, spirits are still high. "Let me tell you, with George W. Bush in the White House, we are going to restore integrity," says Rowland, his words cut off by anticipatory applause.

Statewide representative for the campaign Anthony Pavia compares the election to the Subway Series in New York. "Even if you were mildly interested in politics, even if you're just paying attention in the least, you have to get interested," he said. "Through this election, it was explained why an issue like Social Security was important to Generation X. I don't know if any other campaign has really explained that well."

11:00: It looks like it might fall to several swing states like Washington and Oregon—places that most never thought would decide an election. "It's too close to count," Clark says. "It's pure nerves right now. There's just so much riding on this race."

For those like Clark, there's a sense that this election has the possibility to change the way America looks at politics. "By changing the rhetoric of the conservative voter, even if he loses tonight, I think Bush has opened up the doors for a flood of conservatives in the next election," he said. "People are starting to realize that we're not the guys who are going to steal the lunch money and throw money at big oil."

1:00: It looks like everything hinges on Florida, as it has from the very beginning. Only a few people remain, and they appear battle-weary, hands propping up sagging heads. By Wednesday at lunch, though the election depends only on a few hundred votes in the Sunshine State, Sarah Maserati, BK '01, a member of the Yale College Repiblicans, is confident that Bush will pull through. Even if he doesn't, she says, "he has been a huge player in what might turn out to be one of the most widely discussed elections in recent history."

To Part 2: Dems

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