By Caleb Fooks, Walter Edward and
Sharney Reyes, Valencia Voice
The Republican Victory Party was looking
a little gloomy after the news that most of the
GOP candidates had lost their races. The big-
gest hit was the announcement of Sen. John
McCain’s loss at around 11:00 p.m. The Re-
publican candidates left the “party” shortly
after learning of their respective defeats.
Rachel Shelen, a local McCain supporter
who refers to herself as ‘Palin’s pit-bull’ stat-
ed, “I have to support the Republican Party
because they gave civil rights, they fought
for freedom, and they’re known to stand for
what’s right; for families, for marriage, for ev-
erything.”
Kris Stevens, another GOP supporter
said. “I’m a lifelong Republican conservative
and this was the most important election of
our lifetime.”
When Sen. Barack Obama was announced
president at 11:00 p.m. she gave her opinion
saying, “I think they are calling it prematurely
because we don’t have the votes from Flori-
da.” She said, “I’m not happy at all. I’m dis-
appointed in the people of this country that
they did not take the time to learn about the
issues. They were mesmerized by what they
heard on the campaign trail.”
At the Republican headquarters in Orlando
they assumed McCain’s success as president
of the United Sates. It was with great disbe-
lief that they heard the news that Obama had
won, and won huge.
“I still can’t believe it,” said Howard
Knowles of Apopka, shortly before midnight
as he heard McCain concede the election. “I
was so sure that he would bag Florida.”
Volunteers at GOP headquarters had also
been optimistic most of the day as voters
turned out in record numbers. Together they
had mounted a grassroots campaign to elect
McCain through such things as phone bank-
ing and door to door canvassing.
Patty Redlich, President of Northwest Or-
ange Republican Women Federation, who has
been participating in grassroots campaigns
since the 1960s said, “What’s different with
this election is that it (grassroots campaign-
ing) has been expanded to include the inter-
net, with event sign-ups and blogs.”
As a volunteer at GOP headquarters in
Apopka, Redlich believed that McCain was
the ideal candidate. “He has always focused
on the economy and smaller government.
Right now with the banking situation and
Wall Street, the economy is critical.”
“I’m disappointed McCain lost. I spent a
lot of days waving signs at people in traffic,”
said Ann Mitchell of Azalea Park.
In Sen. John McCain’s concession speech
he urged Americans to congratulate Obama
on his monumental win and compromise
over differences. “We’ve come to the end of
a long journey,” said McCain. “The Ameri-
can people have spoken, and they have spo-
ken clearly.”
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