Reliving the Grant Park Election Night Countdown (VIDEO)

While the honeymoon for President-elect Barack Obama may be a short one, for now my adopted hometown, and America along with it, celebrate this nation's first African-American Commander-in-Chief.

As thrilled as the world was to learn of Obama's election on Tuesday night, the reaction to the news by revelers in and around Grant Park was transcendent. I was lucky enough to have a ticket for the official rally. Here's what you didn't see on TV: a quarter of a million people spontaneously counting down in unison while waiting for the West Coast polls to close.

It was an astonishing moment that hasn't been reported widely, but lives on in footage from hundreds of video phones and camcorders present that night. Giant video screens at the rally and throughout the park broadcast the CNN feed. At 9:50 p.m. CST and 50 seconds, almost the entire crowd--both inside and outside the rally--began a New Year's Eve-inspired countdown to what we thought would be Obama winning California.

The crowd roared when "Breaking News" appeared on the Jumbotrons. Then it happened. Those words melted away into "Barack Obama Elected President." The most momentous pregnant pause in history followed. And immediately following that, almost in the blink of an eye, sheer, joyous pandemonium.

Drawn from the YouTube feeds of five fellow Grant Park revelers that night, here is how we who were down there experienced the moment when America changed forever.

A big shout out to the Obama supporters who took these videos: Guys & Gals, yes we did! (And if you, dear reader, like the videos, consider clicking through to each person's YouTube account and telling them so.)

From jdmellin (watch on YouTube).

From tylerl82 (watch on YouTube).

From lackadaisicaal (watch on YouTube).

From jmsmcntsh (watch on YouTube).

From kmbst53 (watch on YouTube).

Comments

[loislane88]

Has anyone else mentioned that the woman singing the National Anthem didn't know the words? After her 3rd or 4th "misspeakk" the part of the crowd I was in sang along with and over her. Wierd.

[Mike Doyle - Huffpost Blogger]

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You are correct about that. She screwed up big time about four times, but it was obvious she thought she was singing the correct words. It was embarrassing, whoever she was, she was singing to 120,000 people and celebrating a new President. Boy, I wish someone had written down her version of the song, it was kinda painful.

[junkgrl48]

I and my sister were there at Grant Park. I am 60 yrs. old, my sister 59 and we have agonized during the last 8 years, for our country and our grandchildren who deserve so much better than Bush. We have phoned, written, marched, worked so there couldchange an be before Barack Obama ran, we felt powerless, totally powerless and seemed to be living in a parallel universe, as many others have felt as well. No one listened. When that sentence appeared on the screen in Grant Park, all that sadness, anger, fear, trepidation, depression and all the other emotions we experienced under the trauma of GWB, disappeared in a wave of emotion and JOY. I was too busy jumping up and down, screaming, hugging to get a film so I am indebted to those who submitted those vids. It shows the moment we and the rest of the world experienced. The pictures I remember in my mind were the ones when I turned around and looked at the faces behind me--young, older, middle age, children, all the people different but yet ONE for this moment. The beautiful sparkly buildings of a great city were rising like fingers behind us to enclose us as ONE people, but yet, open so we can all move out and do what we need to do. I felt more powerful than any other time in my life. God Speed, President-Elect Barack Obama--WE are the wind behind your back.

[Mike Doyle - Huffpost Blogger]

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Honestly, I can't stop watching them either. A few seconds ago I Twittered the following (under my Twitter profile, "chicagocarless"):

"It took me four days but it finally hit me. I cried tonight when I realized two long walks I've taken in massive crowds. 9/11 when the hell in this country started, fleeing Manhattan on foot. And Tuesday when it ended, walking home from the rally in Chicago. Smiling :-) "

On my blog it took me years to figure out that 9/11 was what pushed me out of my native NYC (much as the goodwill and kind nature of Chicagoans drew me to this great city).

Now I see how lucky I actually have been, to have witnessed the the beginning and (at least the beginning of) the end of this awful arc of our history. F

or the world I would trade the events that my hometown suffered seven years ago. But I'll never forget that moment in Grant Park when this country--and really, the world--repudiated the narrow, arrogant, selfish worldview that drew us so far from our founding principles.

Most rally revelers in Chicago were far younger than my 38 years. That's the greatest comfort of all. America's youth looked at the politics of their parents that had come for so long before, and said, "No more."

Except, unlike the last time that happened (Vietnam, anyone?), this time, they--and we--won.

[nyhfrog]

I moved to Chicago with my wife in July, 2004 just as Obama's candidacy for Senator was taking off. My son and only child was born here in 2006,

I've made some bad choices in my life, but being right here right now erases alot of them.

I love my adopted hometown so much.

[Bethgirl]

This is my first time viewing these clips and I must say that even though it is now Saturday morning November 8th I am still crying. America we can never go back. We must always push forward, and we must stay prayed up because power does not concede easily. The old guard will still be out there attempting to take us back to the darkside of history. I am so proud of all of you, and I am especially proud of Our President Elect Barack Hussein Obama. May each of you continue to have a life full of love and Peace.

[gluchnurse]

Even now watching this makes me tear up. Along with watching a man walk on the moon, this is one of those moments I'll never forget for as long as I live!

[jmellin]

Hey that first video is mine, thanks for posting it here, I wanted to share it with as many people as possible, glad you're all enjoying it so much.

[Mike Doyle - Huffpost Blogger]

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I wrote you on YouTube and I will reiterate it here in public: I think you captured the absolute best video of the victory moment. The pandemonium and joy is beyond apparent in your video, it truly felt like that. Thank you for shooting it and posting it in the first place!