Party Hopping for Kerry By Lisa Quintela What do you get when you throw a grab-bag of strangers together and throw open house parties all over New York City on the night when the Democratic candidate accepts his nomination for presidency in one of the most divided and critical elections in history? On July 29, 2004 in an unprecedented fashion, more than 100,000 people in nearly 5,000 locations nationwide held open house convention parties to watch John Kerry accept the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States.

Approximately 15 parties were hosted in Manhattan alone. Private homes, bars, and lounges were open to all who wanted to watch Kerry’s televised speech, meet new people, make monetary contributions to the Democratic campaign, and unite under one roof to chat over bean dip and finger foods (or in some cases, over a beer with a live rock band or a DJ spinning in the background.) No matter what the tone or mood was, one thing was certain: the anticipation and excitement of each of these celebrations was palpable. “Everyone is hoping to share the electricity that’s hopefully going to be generated when Kerry talks tonight,” said party guest Chris McLoud.

Attending or hosting one of these historic events was as easy as going to MoveOn.org or JohnKerry.com to sign up to host, or to get a list of the parties. My own trip to Kerry’s website resulted in finding five parties I could attend in two hours, each party in a different section of Manhattan, all counting down the minutes to Kerry’s speech. How else would I be able to walk openly through the bolted doors of New Yorkers without knocking, or pass normally inquisitive doormen into sought-after apartments without being announced?

The temptation to be welcomed into the houses of these strangers (where the guests were not only unknown to the host, but to each other) was irresistible. For although everyone was gathering for a common purpose, who knew what to expect on a Thursday night in a concrete island with such an eclectic population?

The Screen’s the Thing
7:30 PM
Upon arriving to Margot Avery’s building (which she owns) in Greenwich Village, I take an old elevator up to the top floor, where there is a sign-up sheet and an envelope for contributions. From where I stand at the entrance of the apartment, I can’t begin to keep track of the number of rooms inside Avery’s colorful, spacious and eccentric labyrinth-like apartment. Hot dogs, snacks and libations are already spread out on a large table. The description of Avery’s party on JohnKerry.com boasted a movie theater-sized screen to watch the speech. Indeed, approximately 20 people, mostly middle-aged men and women, but also some young professionals and students, are adjoined in a large shaded room watching the speakers from the Democratic National Convention on the massive TV screen.

Kerry isn’t expected to speak until 10 pm. As I take a seat, I am welcomed with smiles and hellos from people in the room, but there isn’t a whole lot of conversation. People munch on chips, focused on the screen, the volume is way up, and I can’t help but think, this almost feels like a really intense Super Bowl Party, not a convention party. Yet Stanley Allan Sherman, a mask maker and fellow guest, answers my thought verbally when he jokes, “It’s not a football game. It’s about more than winning. It’s about changing.” Mr. Allan Sherman, like the 15 other strangers who are here tonight, came to Avery’s party because it is closest to where he lives, and the big TV didn’t sound too shabby either. He went with expectations of meeting people of all ages and stripes: Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

Allan Sherman’s expectations were met by Avery’s spirited friend, Fredda Tone, a Republican who is not voting for Bush. “I’m voting for anyone but Bush, says Tone. (At which point Avery clamors from the other room, “So you’re a Republican voting for Kerry!”) Tone replies, “I want to hear Kerry’s speech, because I think I want to vote for him. I’m probably the only real non-Democrat here.” When asked why she has changed her political persuasions about President Bush, Tone simply retorts, “What he’s doing with the war is totally wrong! And Stem Cell research?”

I talk to some other people in the room, including a native Australian, Linda Tullberg, who has lived in the U.S. for 12 years now. Tullberg hopes that Kerry will give a speech that convinces and inspires all of those who don’t want to vote for Bush or who are still undecided. “I belong to this country now, and Bush really scares me,” says Tullberg.

Molly Knight, a budding writer, came to Avery’s party alone because she can’t seem to rally her friends or get them excited about the convention. “I think these parties are a tremendous weapon that the Democrats are using effectively to unite people this year,” says Knight. Howard Dean’s team invented the notion of house parties in his internet grassroots movement. “If he had not started it, this [party] would not be happening right now. I think it’s changing the face of politics,” adds Knight.

Ms. Avery decided to host the party, not only because she says she has the perfect setup for such an occasion, but also because she wanted to make up for missing out on having a party for Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11. “I made this a private party first, because I thought, ‘Strangers, oh dear!’ But then I said, ‘Why not?’ I’ve got about 20 strangers so far.” Although her address was posted openly on the website, she contacted each person who responded to get an estimated count of expected guests (and probably also to make sure that they were sane.) On the issue of whether Kerry will win the White House or not in November, Avery says, “I don’t see how this election isn’t going to be a landslide in Kerry’s favor, but people keep reminding me I’m a New Yorker.”

Chic Blue
8:00 PM
From the sounds of chattering voices and laughter, I can hear a bustling party is already well underway at Mitchell Savage’s West Village apartment. Savage’s quaint abode is sophisticated and charming (much like Savage himself) featuring a secluded outdoor patio area and festive red, white and blue decorations to pronounce the occasion. Some guests are engaged in lively conversation, sipping their wine on the patio, and others grab small plates of food and gather on the couch and floor to watch the convention on television.
For the first time in the evening, I feel like I am truly crashing in on someone’s gathering, because everyone seems to know each other, and they all seem to be having such a great time. However, Savage tells me that he only knows 6 people out of the 25 that have arrived. Based on the responses he received from Kerry’s website, Savage expects around 80 guests tonight, mostly strangers.

“Kerry’s website provides great tools to get your party going,” explains Savage. For hosts, the website offers advice on setting up campaign volunteer sheets, information about Kerry’s platform issues, and topics of discussion to engage conversation among one’s guests. “I set out months ago to do anything I can do. It’s one of the most important elections of my lifetime because of the gravity of the issues, and the really important decisions our next president will make, including appointing a Supreme Court Justice. I could have signed a check to contribute money to the campaign, but then we wouldn’t have had all of these people here to sign up and volunteer. So my gift is the party,” says Savage.

Among the guests who have already arrived are a handful of college students and a variety of middle-aged and young professionals. Among some of the gay guests at Savage’s party, Steve Rivera is wondering if Kerry will address gay and lesbian rights in his speech. “I would like him to addresses the gay marriage issue, but I don’t think he will, because maybe it’s too hot right now. Kerry is not really pro-gay, but Bush is so anti-gay, I would never support someone like him, knowing that we deserve rights like any other minority. Trust me, if you get those gay voters behind you, you’ve got some good loyal support!” quips Rivera.

Indeed, national surveys indicate that the gay and lesbian community exceeds 18.25 million people in the United States alone, with average household incomes of $61,300, compared with the national average of $ 56,900 for heterosexuals. Other studies indicate 70% of gays and lesbians have at least a college education and work in professional and managerial jobs. In addition, the purchasing power of gay and lesbian U. S. adult consumers dollars exceeds $485 billion.

These kinds of figures are no news to politicians who are always aware of how powerful minorities are in the voting process, especially the Hispanic and African American populations, which are the first and second largest minorities in the nation, respectively. “There are many African American citizens who blindly vote for Democrats. But they should know why they’re voting Democrat. And they should know about who’s in charge,” says Star Oliver, a young African American student at Savage’s party.

African Americans, numbering 35 million, represent 12.3% of the U.S. population. Studies indicate that from the 1980s through the 1990s the number of blacks attending college increased 50% to 1.7 million enrolled annually. About 25% of women and 18% of men have professional or managerial jobs. Furthermore, African-American consumers spend over $ 572 billion a year.

Star Oliver and her friend Chastity Pitman have been volunteering for the John Kerry campaign since last October. These young black women are recent graduates of Brooklyn’s Canarsie High School, and are looking forward to college. They are hoping that Kerry will address, among other things, education and financial assistance in his speech tonight. “As a citizen, you have to be politically active, because politics deals with the legislation that changes people’s lives,” says an animated Oliver. “Unfortunately, a lot of us black people are lazy,” stammers Pitman. “ I don’t think a lot of people from our high school would care about a party like this. But you have to get involved. I mean, look around this room. We’re the only two black girls here!” says Oliver.

He’s Breathing and He’s a Democrat.
8:45 PM
Producer and playwright Diane Masters lives in a modern and slick building in West Midtown. I just say the magic words, “Kerry Party’ to the doorman, and don’t even have to stop my stride as he says, “Go right on up.”

Shortly after I walk right into the half-open front door, the pizza delivery arrives. There are two elderly women sitting on Masters’ couch watching the convention, and a table with a contribution envelope and a sign up sheet. Another thirty guests are on Master’s expansive outdoor terrace, leisurely sipping wine and immersed in conversation. Masters doesn’t know 90% of the guests who have showed up at her apartment tonight. Many are artists, writers, and forty-something professionals. From this height, the view of Manhattan speaks for itself.

I sit down with Masters, a passionate spitfire who is all too eager to talk. “I threw a party tonight because I would have to leave the country if Bush wins again. I love my country, but I don’t like what’s going on. We’re in debt, we’re taking cops off the streets, I’m pro choice, and there’s separation of church and state for a reason,” Masters spits out in a breathless tone. She believes mainstream media is not maintaining a critical objectivity of the Bush administration, because mainstream is conservative, unless she tunes into Al Franken on the radio. “There’s an even split in electorate because people read headlines, not small print. They don’t do any research, they don’t try alternative media sources,” says Masters.

I take the elevator down with Chris McCloud, a friend of Masters’. She has her own take on tonight: “I don’t care what Kerry addresses tonight. The fact that he’s breathing and he’s a Democrat is enough for me.”

Underage
9:15 PM
I can hear the party from the elevator, as I make my way into this Gramercy apartment.
The party, thrown by Heather Gershen, is limited exclusively to those under the age of 30, according to its invitation on JohnKerry.com. Gershen, a NYU graduate student who is getting her Masters in public policy, says the age limitation of her party is due to the size of her small apartment, and as an incentive to get her peers involved. She’s eager to have another party in a bigger venue with no limitations on age.

There are about 40 people crammed into Gershen‘s apartment. It sounds and looks like a slightly spruced up and glorified college kegger. With beer bottles or plastic cups in hand, everyone seems to be having a great time, and conversing loudly over the TV that’s showing coverage of the convention in the corner of the room. I can barely hear the host when she tells me that she has already counted the contributions collected at her party, totaling $600, with an average contribution of $10 per person. Sixty percent of the people at the party are Gershen’s friends; the other forty percent are strangers.

Gershen is a Democrat who is hoping Kerry will address and champion women’s issues and urban revitalization. She is adamantly against the war in Iraq. “Sadly, the Bush machine has convinced a lot of people that if they question his administration, they are not patriotic. I think that’s why so many people are divided in the electorate. But it’s also unfavorable to oust a president during wartime,” she says.

Heather introduces me to Josh Retsel, who was a stranger to her before tonight. Retsel, who works for a non-profit organization, came alone to the party, but has already made some friends here. He has plans to go to Central Park with one of them over the weekend to call people in swing states and try to get them registered to vote.

As I wait for the elevator outside of Gershen’s apartment, I overhear a young man on his cell phone, enticing one of his friends to come to the party. “Yeah. There’s a lot of loud liberal people drinking,” he says.

Beers, Billiards, and Kerry
9:40 PM
Bull’s Head Tavern is packed and loud. With twenty minutes left before Kerry makes his speech, people of all ages and ethnicities swarm the bar in this dive for shots, beers, and mixed drinks. One girl wears a shirt that reads, “Good Bush” (next to it, a drawing of the female sex), “Bad Bush” (a drawing of George W.) Sarah Baker, a legal assistant, came to the Bull’s Head because she wanted to be surrounded by others who are concerned with the status of this country. “I was a little too shy to go to someone’s house party or throw my own. I think a bar is a bit more social,” says Baker.

There is a live band that’s setting up to play right after Kerry delivers his speech. I squeeze my way through people to the back of the bar to get a good view of a TV monitor. The middle-aged woman that stands next to me is Miriam (who does not wish to disclose her last name). She’s an administrative assistant for the United Nations, who has just come from a Kerry house party near the U.N. with other middle-aged professionals and some young adults. “I really believe in the U.N. and the ideals that it stands for, and I feel Bush has not been completely been open and fair with the U.N. It’s affected the morale of a lot of really hard-working altruistic people.”

It’s 10 PM, and everyone watches John Kerry make his way to the podium on television. There’s loud cheering, coming from the TV and from the bar. Then silence. Pool playing stops, darts stay stuck in the bullseye, people who are talking are hushed by others, and all eyes focus on the monitors that are set up around the bar. John Kerry utters his first words: “My name is John Kerry, and I’m reporting for duty!”

Sources: Simmons Market Research Bureau; Greenfield Research & KinseyReport ; Greenfield Research & Kinsey Report; DiversityInc.com; Mulryan/Nash Study, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Washington; Economic Policy Institute; The Sports Poll (owned by Chilton Publications and ESPN); Target Market News Inc.; U.S. Census Bureau