Election Night

Election Night in DC resembles a sort of.... super Super Bowl. Election night around here takes on a bit of a more serious tone as most people in the metro area are directly affected by the results - even if you don't work in politics, it is the primary driver of the area's economy and any local will tell you that economy sees big changes depending on which party is in the White House. Not that the evening still can't be festive - this damn thing has been going on for 2 years, and win or lose there are a lot of exhausted people out there glad that it's finally coming to an end. So... how to mark the occasion?

Well, just like the Super Bowl, you have a good mix of bar specials, sanctioned parties, and private events. A couple of things to keep in mind - the metro closes at midnight, cabs will be hard to find, and most of us have to be at work Wednesday morning (a sore point for your Life Concierge.)

Bar specials - Any bar with a television will likely be showing the results, most with the volume up. Hill bars like Hawk and Dove, Bullfeathers, Cap Lounge and Tune Inn will be packed with very partisan crowds. Chef Geoff Restaurants (including Lia's) and the Clydes restaurants are all hosting results parties. Bars are not the best venue for the serious observer for several reasons - first, the crowd is going to be large and loud. Secondly, if you wind up on the losing side and don't get the joke, you aren't going to enjoy seeing the crowd reaction from the winners. Plus, who wants to get a pink slip in the form of a TV announcer while surrounded by 300 drunken revelers celebrating the opposition's win? Probably best for the casual crowd that is more interested in people watching than results watching.

Sanctioned Parties - the Capitol Hill Club, DNC Club, and just about every special interest group in town will be throwing soirees to see the results. While both campaigns are hosting their parties out of the area (Illinois and Arizona), the RNC is hosting an invitation-only event at a downtown hotel, and am sure the DNC has a similar arrangement. If you have an invite to any of these types of events, this is probably the best bet for those who are deeply involved in the process - you'll be surrounded by people who are like-minded and who are as interested in the outcome as you are. Will probably be kind of a bummer though if that side loses the night...

Private Event - If you have a tv and nothing to do, have a few friends come over and BYOB. I personally like this because if you are interested in targeted races more than the national picture, you can stay up-to-date in your computer while watching the results with friends. Bear in mind the partisan leanings of your invite list... a mixed crowd is fine but obnoxious types who take it too seriously can make for a long evening.