By Spencer Brickney,
Special To The Recorder
You know those moments before a date arrives? That period in time when the tension is unbearable and the rushing in your ears is deafening? That is the best way I can describe the first half hour being at the Andrew Roraback headquarters. And like many dates, everything seems to go so well until everything starts to go downhill.
Located at the Backstage bar in Torrington, CT, the majority of those in attendance were members of the media, with the few supports lounging in the bar area. Music blasts through the dining area, which is an odd sound accompanying the cavalcade of news cameras and reports set up on one end of the room. No one showed any interest in the blaring tunes that bombarded their ears, as they patiently waited for the first poll results to come in.
Brian Mattiello, the campaign manager of Mr. Roraback, took the stage positioned across from the TV cameras. By this point, a couple dozen supports had arrived and waited on baited breath for information. He informed the nervous crowd that he will be announcing the calls as they come in, and asks everyone to have a good time. This does nothing to ease the manic nervousness of the group.
Not long afterwards, the first polls came in, and Roraback held the lead. The tension releases out of the room like air from a balloon as everyone started to enjoy themselves. Food is served and drinks are plentiful as people began to mingle with each other. Like in any situation with alcohol, everyone quickly loosened up and started to have fun, and it seemed to be unanimous that no one really wanted to talk about politics. “the time for speeches have come and gone”, says Chuck Coury, a long time supporter of Roraback, “people can relax here now, have a good time, its informal, it’s not a sit down dinner, its people walking around, drinking a beverage, laughing and talking about stories, having a good time.”
Oddly enough, Roraback made no appearance while polls were being read. Sources say that he was at a nearby location with his family, watching the results privately.
The first several poll announcements were for Roraback, and with each victory, comes more celebration. After each, Mattiello offered presidential trivia for the chance to win a lottery ticket. I can proudly say that I won one with the “shortest president”, who was James Madison (I said John Madison, but that’ll be our little secret.). Sadly, I didn’t win anything that night, just like half of the candidates across the country tonight.
The festivities quickly dampened, though, as Esty’s first victory was announced, and it was a major one. She won New Britain by over 9,000 votes. It was the first chink in the armor of the Roraback camp, and it could be felt throughout the restaurant.
Everyone attempted to stay optimistic, but the next poll is what sent the entire event into “mourning a loss” territory. Etsy won Waterbury by another 9,000 votes, and the large lead Roraback once had started to turn into a razor thin margin.
As the night grew late, the festivities kept winding down, even though the race continued to heat up. At about 10:30 p.m, half the crowd left the headquarters, waiting to see the results in the morning. With each new update, the lead grew smaller and smaller for Roraback, and eventually turned into an uphill battle. The night that was once filled with smiles and hope had turned into looks of sadness and disappointment (it did not help that they never stopped blaring every inspirational song from the 1980’s throughout).
They called it at midnight. The election that at one point seemed certain had now become a lost dream. Roraback made his first appearance of the night around 12:30, taking the stage while “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey played in the background. He made sure to thank all of his supporters and staff, and made it clear what his campaign represented.
“Our candidacy has been about trying to convince the people of Connecticut that the solutions to the problems our country faces are going to require finding solutions that unite us”, Roraback stated, “Lets hope they [President Obama and the house of representatives] will begin to focus on solutions that unite us as a people…they need to put the nations interest in front of their partisan interest if we are going to solve the enormous problems we are facing”. The speech was an emotional affair, with several supporters in the crowd crying.
And just like that, the event was over. Roraback left the stage, and the few people remaining, mostly the press, quickly shuffled out of the building. Even after the crowd had been enveloped back into the cold darkness outside, there still lingered a feeling within the now deserted headquarters. A sense of sadness and mourning, an imprint in the walls, left by the dozens of hopeful supporters who left that night disappointed.