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LOS ANGELES - When Bill Simon's concession speech finally came shortly before midnight on Tuesday, it was a brief affair. A chance for thank yous, but no tears were lost. Most of the crowd at the LAX Westin Hotel were still riding high from an astounding Republican night nationwide. Even though CNN and other major networks promised that exit poll results would not be released prematurely, the numbers came soon enough anyway.
And around the bar----all the action was at the bar----sour apple martinis and high fives abounded as one Democrat after another went down for the count in races once predicted to be close. A Gordan Smith victory, a Missouri upset, a Max Cleland defeat. The results were broadcast on three televisions. One tuned to Fox, one to CNN, one to MSNBC.
"I think things are gonna turn around this year," a middle-aged Latina said jubilantly while sucking down the ice of a single malt.
Young Republican Alexis Graham talked about how she lived in California for eight years and how she felt like she always had to keep her mouth shut when out socially. She said she was always afraid that someone would find out that she was a conservative.
"When Bush won I was like finally!" She was happy to see that the President's brother, Jeb, had held his Governor's seat in Florida.
Also excited by those results, Christopher Cook, 34, and a former senior editor for an education technology company, jumped up and said: "If that's not a repudiation of the rapacious Terry McAuliffe, then I don't know what is." He was referring to the Chairman of the Democratic Party.
"It looks like tonight is shaping up like 1994, Cook continued. "That's when Peter Jennings described Americans going to the polls as acting like 'petulent children.'"
Cook said he's been between jobs since Worldcom, his company's backer, collapsed. With a half grin he said he plans on running for president in 2008.
When it appeared that Rep. Jim Talent had captured the Senate seat of Jean Carnahan in Missouri the Westin Bar went nuts. Brian Porter, a labor relations lawyer, was quick to point out that the immediate result of the Republican's success would be a change in the judiciary. "Probably as soon as January," Porter added.
Simon, before he left, promised that this was just the beginning of the campaign. Calls for 2006 echoed through the ballroom. If momentum is a measure for the Republicans, Californians might find they haven't seen the last of Bill Simon.