Reporters’ Notebook

AT THE DEMOCRATIC VICTORY PARTY AT THE RIO TUESDAY NIGHT, the large-screen television at center stage was set to MSNBC while eight smaller TVs around the room carried CNN, CBS, Telemundo and one station showing re-runs of "Friends." Not one TV was tuned to Fox News.

HOWARD STUTZ

REPUBLICANS WHO GATHERED FOR THE PARTY'S ELECTION NIGHT VIEWING AT THE PALAZZO were mostly a stoic bunch during President-elect Barack Obama's victory speech Tuesday night.

They either watched without comment or tuned him out to focus on local election results at the bottom of the screen.

One woman, however, made sure the entire room knew how much she loathed Obama.

"Yay! Our Messiah is here!" she cried out disdainfully, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "Our redeemer!

"Stupid Americans. Stupid. ... This is the antithesis of Martin Luther King."

ALAN CHOATE

AS SOON AS THE FIRST ELECTION RETURNS CAME IN TUESDAY NIGHT, Republican Kenneth Wegner seemed eager to concede to Rep. Shelley Berkley.

"Is this far enough along where I can make my concession speech?" he asked a reporter.

Wegner then lashed out at the Nevada Republican Party for what he perceived as a lack of support.

"I'd like to thank the Republican Party for forgetting to endorse me," said Wegner, who was not invited onstage to give a concession speech. "(Republican Party Chairwoman) Sue Lowden never returned my calls."

ALAN MAIMON

FUNNY STORY FROM BRET WHIPPLE, WHO SURPRISED THE HECK OUT OF EVERYONE TUESDAY by losing his re-election bid to the state university Board of Regents to an unknown candidate who did virtually no campaigning.

Whipple was out of town on business Tuesday. He finished about 8 p.m. and called his wife.

"How far am I ahead?" he asked.

"You're not," she replied. "You're losing. I'm watching it on TV."

"Well, change the channel," the 6-year regent replied.

He got home, went to bed and awakened at 2 a.m., convinced it had all been a nightmare. Somewhat relieved, he checked on the results again. He still lost.

"Winning," he said, "is a lot more fun than losing."

RICHARD LAKE

NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT, THIS WAS A BAD ELECTION YEAR TO BE A BOB BEERS. State Sen. Bob Beers lost his seat on Tuesday, and lesser-known Assemblyman Bob Beers (no relation) was bounced in the Aug. 5 primary.

For state archivist Guy Rocha, it recalls 1982, when two candidates named Gojack both lost bids for the same U.S. congressional seat: John Gojack in the primary, Mary Gojack in the general.

After a messy divorce, John filed to run against his ex-wife in the Democratic primary. But Rocha said John's bid for revenge came to an abrupt end when Mary won and John finished sixth out of seven candidates. She went on to lose to Republican Barbara Vucanovich in the general election.

Rocha could think of no instances in which two people with the exact same name lost in the same year.

"I would hazard to guess that that's never happened before," he said.

HENRY BREAN

BECAUSE SO MANY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE DESIGNATED POLLING PLACES, the Clark County School District gave students Tuesday off.

Joyce Haldeman, associate superintendant for community and government relations, said the district used Tuesday as a teacher development day at the request of election officials.

"We knew this was going to be a huge election," Haldeman said. "Parking is always a problem."

JAMES HAUG

ELECTION DAY ALSO WAS A FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS 18 AND OLDER who were employed by Clark County as poll workers. They were paid $120 for the day. Some students contributed the money to their service organizations or clubs, Haldeman said.

The students brought their computer savvy and youthful energy to the polls. They "dramatically lowered the median age of the poll workers," Haldeman said.

JAMES HAUG

SOME VOLUNTEERS DIDN'T GET TO SEE FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI speak Nov. 1 at a Henderson strip mall to motivate Republican campaign workers.

When a canvasser asked what he had missed, a young volunteer replied that it was the same speech Giuliani gave at the Republican National Convention.

Imagine the convention speech, he said, but with Rudy standing on the back of a truck.

SCOTT WYLAND

@ REVIEWJOURNAL.COM

Blogs

• JOHN L. SMITH: Some Beers, one Heck of a hangover.

• VEGAS VOICE: Clint Holmes as running mate.

• THE ONLINE GUY -- TIDBITS: History on newsprint, net.

MULTIMEDIA

• OBAMA IN LAS VEGAS: lvrj.com/obama

• OBAMA TIMELINE AND MONTAGE: reviewjournal.com/media/slideshow/obama_montage

• ELECTION DAY: reviewjournal.com/media/video/election08_day.html