Ohio Democrats Celebrate; Republicans Look For Answers

Democrats across Ohio celebrated President Barack Obama’s victory last night. The race was tight with Mr. Obama winning by a little more than two percentage points. The crowd at the Columbus Downtown Hilton erupted into deafening cheers as the words “re-electedâ€? appeared next the president’s picture on large television screens. Supporters took up the chant “four more yearsâ€? while others offered a customary “OH-IO.â€? Paula Gray, watching from the back of the ballroom, said she is pleased Mr. Obama will continue to lead the country. “I’m proud that he was able to come back and have a victory tonight," Gray said. Brian Wright, of Cleveland, said he was not surprised the election was close. And Wright said the president’s win signifies support for the Obama Administration. “I’ve been disappointed over the past year or two as to the direction we’ve seen, gridlock in the Congress or what have you," Wright said. "I hope that we see a decisive enough victory that we can see both sides come together and really move this country forward.â€? For Neral Crane, hope was restored. But Crane did not hesitate to say Mr. Obama should learn some lessons from his first term. “This time around he also knows just turning the other cheek, being nice, didn’t get him very far," Crane said. And Mr. Obama will still face a split Congress. And he will have to find a way to bridge the divide. But former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland is enthusiastic about future bipartisan efforts. “We will work together as one people to expand the middle class, to bring the poor out of poverty, to make sure that education is available for our students and that health care is available to our people," Strickland exclaimed. As democrats celebrated victory after victory, the mood at the Ohio Republican headquarters slip away like air in a balloon; and it soured quickly when Romney supporters learned of Mr. Obama’s victory. Romney supporter David Monroe blamed the media. “There is a tremendous liberal bias in the national media," Monroe said. "And it was very hard for Romney to break through that and get his message out.â€? Ohio Auditor Dave Yost said the Republican base became more energized during the last month of the election. “I’m sure that the history of this election will be written, and we’ll look at the exit polling and understand what motivated different blocks of voters," Yost said. President Obama and Mitt Romney campaigned in Ohio to the very end. Their campaigns made about 100 stops combined this year.