Under fluorescent lights and many MSNBC projections, the audience at the SF Dems celebration on Market Street let out a primal scream at 9:15 on Tuesday night. They were quickly coming to the conclusion that former President Donald Trump was likely to win the presidency again. City Attorney David Chiu told everyone to tell their neighbour that they were lovely after the stress-relieving roar echoed through the old Downtown Nordstrom Rack.
Chiu and a panel of speakers, which included state senator Scott Wiener and soon-to-be reelected Assemblymember Matt Haney, struggled to reassure or uplift the crowd. “This isn’t over yet, but we’re all nervous,” Weiner stated. Spectators didn’t seem to be as confident. A tangible sense of dread filled the room, as it did at concert halls, cafes, street corners, and watch parties around deep-blue San Francisco, even though there were still a number of swing states to call and millions of ballots to count. Vice President Kamala Harris received 80% of the city vote, according to early figures, but she was losing in practically every important area.
Tri Tan pointed to his large dish of Indian cuisine and stated, “I’m anxious when I eat.” “I’m nervous. I have a lot of emotions.
Thom Davies, a visitor to Democratic headquarters who was unable to cast his own ballot due to his Green Card status, stated, “I’m very nervous — it’s a lot closer than I was expecting.” “I was hoping for an unexpected landslip.” He is concerned about the potential impact on western liberalism of a Trump presidency. When asked about his thoughts on the New York Times’ forecast that Trump would be the next president at approximately 8 p.m., mayoral candidate Aaron Peskin paused for a lengthy while during his campaign party at Bimbo’s 365 Club in North Beach. At last, he murmured, “I’m speechless.” “Every American city will find it far more difficult to support their citizens as a result. “I would much rather lose and Kamala Harris win, but it appears that the opposite will occur based on what The New York Times is reporting,” he continued. (Peskin’s early results in the mayoral election likewise didn’t seem encouraging.) The veteran city lawmaker claimed that Trump’s plans will disproportionately affect the poor and homeless and that California and San Francisco would need to band together with other states and localities to resist the executive branch. “A coordinated offence is the best defence,” he stated. “But it will make it much more difficult for us to govern.”
Realising Throughout San Francisco, election watch parties frequently featured the droll refrain, “So, how ya feelin’?” “Not great,” was the standard response. At the watch party for District 3 Supervisor candidate Sharon Lai at Harbour View Restaurant and Bar, Lily Contino, wearing a T-shirt that said, “Divorce your Republican husband,” sat nervously watching the election results at around nine o’clock. She remarked, “I’m trying not to freak out.” “Anything may occur. If Harris loses, it will be a terrible day for everyone, especially transgender people.
Lai, who was also lagging in the preliminary results for her race, said, “I’m really trying not to think about it because I might start to cry if I do.” “I have trauma from 2016.” I recall crying uncontrollably when the election results were announced since I had just given birth to my second baby and was still quite hormonal. It can be a little upsetting. At the SF GOP party in North Beach, a mile away, the atmosphere changed from cautious optimism to pure joy. Manuel Noris-Barrera, an Assembly candidate who was certain to lose to Matt Haney, stated, “The Democrats are freaking out.” Despite this, he enjoyed the cheers and clapping. “We’re going to celebrate Donald Trump’s upcoming presidency tonight.”
The crowd sneered when Yvette Corkrean, who is probably going to lose her state Senate campaign against Scott Wiener, said that her opponent is “not very kind to our family and kids.” Wiener was called a “pervert” by one heckler. That isn’t very polite,” Cockrean said. “But if we have that mindset, we can beat him together.” Erin Rickenbaker, co-owner of El Chato, a well-known Spanish wine bar in the Mission, attempted to create “good election vibes” for the bar’s election watch party. She generously poured caiño longos and listán negros, two native Spanish wine kinds.
However, the atmosphere changed as the evening went on. According to her, “people have been dissociating and are starting to freak out today,” she claimed. There was only one clear option: either go home or drown your election troubles. Scott Wiener was thrown into the role of group therapist for the dejected Harris supporters at the SF Dems party, as his state Senate reelection was virtually guaranteed. As the tide began to slowly shift in favour of Trump, he advised them to “just take a deep breath.””It is not finished, but I also want to stress that, first and foremost, we have had to battle tirelessly to defend our fundamental rights regardless of who wins—we know this from the last few years, when we had a Democratic Senate and a Democratic president. Thus, we must be ready to fight regardless of who is in charge. And if the worst occurs tonight, God forbid. We have seen and experienced this before, I assure you.