DPO election night party - the pics!

Kevin Kamberg

After the fold are some pics I took last night at the election night party along with some brief commentary one each.

Senator-elect Jeff Merkley facing the press very early in the evening. You can just see the top of Mary's head to his left.

A shot inside of the Merkley hospitality suite.

Another shot inside the Merkley suite.

The media pit in the main convention hall.

A very shaky pic of Carla (see her partial bio on the Contributors page) just getting set up with her live blog.

Merkley staffer Ben Dupree (former co-author of the now defunct Witigonen blog) just killed me all night long with his "Men in Black" impressions. You can't see the earpiece from this angle because it and the wiring for it were on his right ear. But I just couldn't resist this shot of him talking into his lapel. He actually posed a great shot for me a bit later where he was pretending to talk into his wrist - more like the actual movie - but I messed it up and it's all blurry.

The media pit again.

The stage framed between the two massive screens which showed CNN's election night coverage all night long. This was shortly after they opened the main hall and most folks were milling in and around the various hospitality suites and the walkways.

My bad! I'd forgotten that I'd taken two shots of Ben and this one turned out. Here you can see the earpiece. Even as I type this I am chuckling to myself about the whole "Men in Black" thing. The only thing it needs now is a massive gun photoshopped into the pic somewhere.

I'd taken a lot of good natured ribbing from Ben months ago for how "rugged" I looked in my blue collar clothes at the Merkley TV and print ad shoot I was at back in March. So this is some equally good natured ribbing in return.

Ben is, without a doubt, most definitely one of the good guys in my book. I doubt that I'd have ever met him let alone befriended him if it weren't for the candidacy of Jeff Merkley which drew both of us into the same sphere.

Excited Democrats sometime around the middle of the night. Either someone was speaking or CNN had flashed Oregon's election results - both elicited banner waving and cheers.

Kari intently focused on his laptop shortly before McCain gave his consession speech.

Obama giving his inspiring victory speech. Notice the Oregon results across the bottom of the CNN screen.

Congressman Blumenauer addressing the crowd.

The one and only Governor Barbara Roberts addressing the crowd as only she can do it.

Merkley staffers pow-wow.

Bradley Dunn (Forward Oregon blog) and Mitch Gore (Lestatdelc's blog) hamming it up. Bradley played a very memorable role in A Marching We Will Go

Governor Kulongoski and AG-elect Kroger confer off to the side.

Governors Kulongoski and Roberts introduce Jeff Merkley sometime after 11:00 PM.

Jeff and Mary, Senator Wyden and Governors K & R as Merkley is giving a very personal and personable speech and explaining that none of us would know the results of the Senate race until the next day.

I left shortly afterwards and arrived home in Forest Grove a little after midnight.

By Kevin Kamberg Nov. 05, 2008