"Four more years" chants erupt at Democratic watch party

by Julie Fancher

With the confirmation that President Obama has been re-elected for a second term and the Democrats have maintained a majority in the Senate, the crowd at the Dallas County Democratic watch party celebrated with hugs, tears and chants of "four more years."

The energy in the Hyatt Regency ballroom already was high, with the release of more electoral college votes indicating the task for Gov. Mitt Romney was becoming impossible.

As Obama began to close in on the 270 electoral votes needed to win, State Senator Royce West said, "243, we need what 27 more. Needless to say it is going to happen."

West continued to say he believes Obama will win the popular vote as well as the electoral college.

"This will show all independents that he is taking the country in the right direction," said West.

Dallas County Democratic Chairman Darlene Ewing agreed.

"We never thought we would get North Carolina,” Ewing said, adding that it appeared then that it was no longer possible for Romney to “pull it off.”

District Attorney Craig Watkins said with Dallas County being Democratic he could foresee the possibility of red state Texas one day becoming Democratic again.

"This bodes well for us in the state of Texas. It will bode well for us in the state and you will see those other counties in Texas begin to change," said Watkins.

Kyler Taylor, teaching assistant for DISD said, "I am excited for him to get another term. I was thankful for his first term and I will support him for the next four years."

Scott Larson, a SMU law student said, "It's remarkable that four years ago we elected the first black president, and tonight we re-elected him. And I think that says so much about how much our country has grown."