Colorado Dems celebrate Obama victory Gangnam style at downtown watch party

Soon, the officials took the stage. Colorado Democratic Party chairman Rick Palacio started things off. "We are on the path to victory!" he proclaimed a little after 9 p.m.

A few minutes later, CNN called the race for Obama. The room exploded with cheers. "Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" shrieked sixteen-year-old Quintasia Wake in the kind of giddy, high-pitched tone of voice that only teenage girls are capable of emitting.

Dejion Allen, age 9, leads the Dems in the Pledge of Allegiance.

"Well, uh, I was hoping we'd all be sitting on the edges of our seats a little longer," said Palacio, returning to the microphone. When the screams died down, he introduced nine-year-old Dejion Allen to lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Wearing a striped dress shirt and a bow tie, Allen stepped on a milk crate to reach the microphone.

Afterward, we asked Allen why the night was special. "Because I get to be on the news!" he said. Then he added, "I've been in catalogs before. I'm also a model."

A parade of elected officials, past and present, took turns at the microphone next. Many called for bipartisanship in the wake of the victorious election. Party-goers clapped.

Former Dever mayor Federico Pena: "When people look across the West and they see the new Colorado and they see the new Democratic party, they see the future of our country!"

Current mayor Michael Hancock: "It is now time to unite this nation!"

Representative Diana DeGette, who won a ninth term in Congress last night, spoke of moving Colorado from purple to blue, and Governor John Hickenlooper reminded the crowd that "this is one country." He then introduced state House Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino, noting that he'd soon be speaker, since Dems won control of the House. Ferrandino thanked supporters and promised to make them proud.

When the speeches ended, the dance music began. Adults got down to the Black Eyed Peas, Outkast, "Tainted Love" and "Gangnam Style." "What did I tell you?" Tyler, the electrician who showed up at the party early, shouted at us, mid-boogie. "We're on the road to recovery now! We won't have to live in a parallel universe!"

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