November 4-10, 2004

political notebook

by Mary F. Patel

The Longest Day

The manic frenzy of Election Day started early on Tuesday and lasted well into the night. While many city voters went to the polls at dawn hoping to beat the rush, they found themselves waiting for more than an hour. With an emphasis on a big Democratic thrust, hundreds of volunteers canvassed the city throughout the day urging people to vote. Many rang doorbells reminding people to get to the polls, while large groups stood on street corners with signs yelling at passing vehicles to honk for John Kerry. Even as closing time loomed, clipboard-toting volunteers rapped on doors across town hoping to get nonvoters out at the last minute.

Kerry's ultimate victory in Pennsylvania served as a referendum of sorts on the Democratic get-out-the-vote campaign in the city and the Commonwealth.

The Longest Night

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter surprised everyone on election night when he arrived early at his own party just to tell supporters that it was going to be a long evening before he could claim victory—or concede defeat. The 20-year Republican incumbent was at the end of a tough race against Democratic challenger Joe Hoeffel, a congressman who passed up a chance to seek re-election to the House to take his best shot at trouncing the senior senator.

Never one to hold a shabby affair—he is, after all, a fund-raising master—Specter booked the ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel. Guests piled in early to partake of the wine and harder libations. In between sips, they dined on sliced roast beef au jus and ravioli in truffle sauce.

By 9:45 p.m., the results from the state's polling places were not in. One location in Lehigh County was kept open past the 8 p.m. closing time to accommodate democracy-loving citizens who remained waiting in long lines.

Specter stood on the stage with his wife Joan, a former City Councilwoman, and made small talk about once being the only Jewish family in a town in Kansas where he grew up and the greatness of his wife's pies.

"We need to rebuild the center of the Republican Party," he said to light applause. "Moderation is a vital core of this party."

That message made perfect sense, considering Specter is a centrist who's long depended on votes from Democrats to keep him in office. (In the audience were a host of well-known Democrats who asked to have their names left out of this article fearing repercussions from their party leadership.) Still, being popular with the Dems hurt him in the GOP primary against ultra-conservative Patrick Toomey, an extremely right-wing congressman from the western part of the state who almost took him out before Hoeffel could take his best shot at stopping Specter from winning a record fifth term in office.

Specter's affair was high enough on the list of must-do events for U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan to grace with his presence. Other high-ranking Republicans attending included Manny Stamatakis, Fred Anton and Specter's former chief of staff David Urban, now a lobbyist.

As much of the nation's attention turned to the tight presidential race, there was no such wee-hours drama at the Four Seasons. Hoeffel called Specter around 11:30 p.m. to concede.

Pure Democrats

Across town at the nightclub Pure, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender voters convened to watch Hardball on a big screen in the dark and sip cocktails while watching returns.

Paul Morris, who sits on the endorsement committee of the gay lobbying organization OutFront! and on the endorsement committee of Liberty City Lesbian and Democratic Club, predicted earlier in the evening that Hoeffel would pull it off as Kerry Democrats would not reach over to the Republican column and vote for Specter, who ultimately carried a shade under 53 percent of the vote to his challenger's 41.8 percent.

"The Democrats will sweep the state," said Morris. "Arlen is vulnerable and I think Democrats are seeing him for what he is. You can't be a moderate Republican, pander to all sides, and expect to stay in office."

Clearly, the crowd was hoping for a big Kerry victory against George W. Bush.

Sporting a "Lesbians for a Better America" T-shirt, Casey Cook, a board member of Liberty City and the executive director of Prevention Point, a needle exchange program, said, "it was incredibly satisfying to see the community come together in this way.

Key issues of importance to the community were Bush's opposition to civil unions, choice and appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices to the bench who may try to over turn Roe v. Wade. "And it was definitely an anti-war vote," added Cook.

Bob Ravelli, who spent his day working with Liberty City and Move On, agreed with what Cook said about unity within the community.

"[It] was gratifying to see such spirit," he said.

Despite all the positivity at Pure early in the evening, you could feel the dissension grow each time the screen flashed numbers showing Bush beat Kerry in a particular state, making Wednesday's Election Day hangover all the more painful.