Dancing in the Streets

CNN:

Obama win sparks celebrations outside White House

(CNN) -- As tens of thousands of people cheered Barack Obama's presidential victory at his home base in Chicago, Illinois, others were celebrating near his future house.

At least 1,000 people gathered on Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House late Tuesday night, shouting "Obama! Obama!" and "Yes we can!" Uniformed Secret Service officers were overheard, saying they'd never seen anything like it.

In Boston, Massachusetts, thousands of people -- many of them college students -- hit the streets to celebrate the election of the country's 44th president. The sound of car horns could be heard across the city, CNN affiliate WCVB reported.

Boston police said the celebrations were peaceful, but they closed some streets to control the crowds, WCVB reported.

In Chicago's Grant Park, where police estimated at least 200,000 had gathered to hear Obama claim victory, the crowd erupted in cheers and screams after news organizations projected him the winner.


AP:
From Harlem, to the avenue in Atlanta where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was born, to Oakland, Calif., Americans black and white celebrated Barack Obama's election with tears, the honking of horns, screams of joy, arms lifted skyward — and memories of civil rights struggles past.

Seattle Times:
In Seattle, crowds of thousands of people spilled into the streets near the Pike Place Market and on Capitol Hill Wednesday night to celebrate the election of Barack Obama.

Detroit Free Press:
They streamed into the streets of downtown Detroit -- black, white, Asian, Indian and Arab -- all Americans who were proud to celebrate president-elect Barack Obama and the new America he represents.

Black power fists were thrown in the air, large American flags were waved, people danced in the streets, drivers honked their car horns, men stood on cars playing bongo drums and the gleeful shouts of "OBAMA" could literally be heard from miles away.


Lebanon (PA) Daily News:
For the second time in a week, Philadelphia had an impromptu celebration.

Six days after crowding streets to celebrate the Phillies' World Series victory, thousands of Philadelphians marched downtown on Tuesday night to celebrate Barack Obama's victory over John McCain.

A multiracial crowd of all ages came from all directions and converged at City Hall shortly after Obama was declared the winner. Under a light rain, thousands of people jumped up and down, cheered and danced in the streets while car stereos blared music.


Newsday:
Celebration is spilling into the streets of Newark as New Jersey's largest city rejoices in Barack Obama's momentous election to the White House.

People spilled into the streets late Tuesday night, as car horns honked and cheers could be heard for blocks as the Democrat was declared the winner.


Louisville, KY Courier-Journal:
After the presidential race was called for Democrat Barack Obama at 11 p.m., motorists driving on Broadway in downtown Louisville honked their horns and yelled "Obama!" out the windows.

People gathered along the stretch of Broadway between 26th and 27th streets, cheering, dancing and waving campaign signs.


Ann Arbor (MI) News:
Sometime around 11:30 Tuesday night, the cheers could be heard reverberating across downtown Ann Arbor, steadily growing louder and louder.

An impromptu parade that started on the University of Michigan Central Campus wound along downtown streets as hundreds of students - joined by passersby and others who spilled out of bars - joyously celebrated the election of America's first black president.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje, who was at an election party at Arbor Brewing Co. on Washington Street, celebrating his own victory for a fifth 2-year term. "You could hear them coming and then half the bar went outside and followed along."


San Jose Mercury News:
Two hours later, downtown Santa Cruz was seized by a spectacle of mass celebration as hundreds of Obama supporters poured out from the sidewalks, high-fiving with hands extended from honking cars cruising by, hugging strangers and weeping like they must have done on V-E Day.

The cars, most of them fully occupied, snaked down Pacific Avenue in an impromptu recession, though the white-hot center of the celebration was at Pacific and Walnut. A tattooed and shirtless young man, his entire torso leaning out of the passenger side of a white Toyota spoke for the crowd when he screamed, "God bless America, and God bless Barack Obama."


Getting the idea? There's more, but you already knew that.

It's a great day for Democrats and Republicans alike. For Democrats, Barack Obama was elected President. For Republicans, there was finally dancing in the streets and Americans greeted as liberators.