DENVER, Colo. – Sen. Mark Udall’s defeat did not seem to put a damper on the spirits of some Colorado Democrats Tuesday night. When the twin jumbo TV screens at the Westin Hotel showed Republican Cory Gardner as the projected winner of the U.S. Senate race, there was an audible groan, followed by an immediate resumption of party activities.
Hopes were high when the night got rolling; Udall was behind in the polls, but so was Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet prior to his election in 2010, and he managed to pull out a victory. One popular notion among Democrats in the crowd was that polls underrepresented Latino voters, who lean Democrat.
But less than an hour and a half after the voting places closed, outlets including CNN, Politico, and the Denver Post had called the race for Gardner.
“I just can’t believe it happened so quickly,” one Udall supporter said to a group of friends.
The DJ played on — bass-heavy remixes of songs like Pharrell William’s “Happy” while campaign workers drown their sorrows with beer and cocktails poured by the Westin’s bartenders in downtown Denver. Though Colorado is known for its craft beers, the Democrats here were on the hard stuff. Whiskey sours, rum and Cokes and dirty martinis were in order after this discouraging early defeat.
As they drink, they discuss what the Republican gains mean for the future of the country.
“People are going to get what they voted for,” said one voter from Tennessee. “’Turning the country around’ means going backwards.”
Maybe it’s the bouncy music that’s responsible for the festive atmosphere, maybe the drinks, or maybe Colorado Democrats were taking comfort in the fact that Amendment 67, the controversial “personhood amendment” that opponents say would limit a woman’s right to abortion, did not pass. Many of those in attendance wore stickers, pins and T-shirts that read “No on 67.” Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper was ahead, but the governor’s race was too close to call as the clock nears midnight.
Beyond the festive veneer, many in the crowd were stunned.
“Mark has done such incredible things for Colorado and our country that I’m just sort of in disbelief that he’s not going to return for another six years and continue his good work,” said State Rep. Paul Rosenthal in an interview.
Most in the crowd seem to believe that the defeat was not a reflection on Udall’s performance, but part of a backlash against an unpopular president and a Congress that seems to have difficulty doing the basic job of legislating.
“I think it’s all about Washington. People are frustrated. They’re upset that nothing gets done in Washington,” said Colorado State Rep. Beth McCann.
As the night goes on, the music and the booze flow freely, and so does the bad news for Democrats. Before long, it becomes apparent that Republicans are going to win the majority in the Senate, but the Colorado Democrats continue to party, at least for one more night.
“I’m entirely pessimistic,” says Virginia, an environmental scientist with a big smile on her face, “I think the next two years will be gridlock and frustration.”