The room was packed with people wearing “I Voted” stickers and voices that filled the air, trying to talk over the NBC News anchors covering the 2016 election. There were women, men, boys, girls, African Americans, Latinos, whites — all kinds of Americans anxiously awaiting the announcement of the next president of the United States. As results rolled in, the crowd cheered and booed together, the majority in favor of Hillary Clinton.
An election-watch party was hosted by the Boone County Democrats at the Blue Note with special election-night drinks and Ozark Mountain Biscuits food truck right outside for the convenience of people who can’t keep their eyes off election coverage. There was also entertainment provided by The Fried Crawdaddies, a local Columbia band, after the election results were finalized.
This watch party was definitely one for people who supported Clinton, and many wanted to see her win by the end of the night. Cortney Bouse, an employee of Planned Parenthood in Columbia, wanted to be a part of the community watching the election. “I don’t want to see Trump win,” she said.
Hannah Foster, a freshman at the University of Missouri, supported Clinton since the primaries. “I did not, for one second, think [the results] would be as close as it is now,” she said around 10 p.m. Her plans were to watch election coverage until there was a president announced.
There was energy and excitement toward the beginning of the event at 8 p.m., but that mood quickly turned more emotional as it passed 10 p.m., when the electoral votes were very close and Florida was called for Trump.
Regardless of how election night ended, the Blue Note was full of people who came together to celebrate democracy, eat, drink and no doubt, realize they witnessed American history when the first person ever was elected president of the United States without having any background in politics or the military. President-elect Donald Trump gave his acceptance speech at 3:50 a.m. CST from Trump headquarters in Manhattan.
“I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me,” Trump said.
_Edited by Katherine White | kwhite@themaneater.com_
