Where were you when George W. Bush got reelected?

I was at The Stranger's election-night party at Chop Suey—me and hundreds of others. We were full of hope early in the evening, but then watched in horror as state after state went red. We stared in disbelief as "values voters" and knuckle draggers in Jesusland sent George W. Bush back to the White House for a second term. All the time and energy we poured into meet-ups, our emotional investment, Howard Dean, the checks we wrote John Kerry, Music for America, "Vote or Die"—all for nothing.

The serious substance abuse began once it was clear that Bush was going to win. People who had been drinking soda began drinking beer. People who had been nursing beers began doing shots. People who had been slamming shots began banging their heads against the wall. Our sorrows were great and it took oceans of alcohol to drown them. By midnight something magical happened: Chop Suey ran out of booze. Kegs went dry; the hard alcohol was mostly gone. We were reduced to drinking shots of Goldschläger.

It looks like something magical might happen again this year. The Democrats—with Dean in charge—got up off their knees and fought back. Now the Dems are poised to take control of the House or Senate—or both. Republicans all over the country are running scared. Rick Santorum is going down. George Allen is going down. Mike McGavick is going down. Katherine "I Stole the 2000 Election" Harris is going down. Ken "I Stole the 2004 Election" Blackwell is going down.

The Stranger is hosting an election-night party on Tuesday, November 7, at Spitfire (2219 Fourth Ave). The party starts at 5:00 p.m.—when election results start coming in from the East Coast—and goes all night long. There are 22 television screens, satellite feeds from around the country, and red and blue drink specials. Here's hoping that Spitfire in 2006, like Chop Suey in 2004, runs out of booze. But this time it'll be because we're toasting our victories, not drowning our sorrows. Join us for what just might be the party of the year.