No Tears in Beers Over John McCain
by Johanna Holan

  T'was the night of the primary,
and all through the town
The moderates were chanting
Bring "Dubyah" down!

It's 8:01 pm inside Bogie's Pizza resturant, moments after the primary polls have closed in California. About the sparsely populated tables, amongst American flags and patriotic pom-poms, John McCain supporters munch pizza, talking politics. The atmosphere is mellow at this internet-publicized pizza party. No other members of the press lurk within sight, having already guessed what is now shaping itself into reality; McCain is going down in this set of primaries.

But for many in this eclectic group of voters, the question is where to go from here.

"I'm going to have to re-evaluate my political views," says Angela Moore, 25, an independent voter who has worked feverishly on the McCain campaign since January. "I don't like Bush."

Doug Roberts, a conservative independent voter, agrees. "I'm hoping that the McCain campaign will continue," he says. "I have to believe in a candidate before I vote for them."

Even many card-carrying Republicans will have trouble letting go of their prized candidate and grudgingly support Bush. Bruce Pruitt, a lecturer for the school of Business at San Jose State University, was adament in his support of the fellow war veteran. He said he had never been immpassioned by a canidate before and admitted that he will reluctantly vote, but not actively support Bush.

McCain's loss is a tough fall for military employee Ed Oldt, a Republican here on business from North Carolina, a state that has yet to hold its primary. "I'm still holding out. I don't know whether to vote for McCain anyway or not vote at all, whatever makes the biggest statement," he says.

Some Democrats unnknowingly have made it into the McCain crowd, having come solely for pizza and a beer. Surprisingly, some have cast their vote for McCain, but not necessarily for honest intentions.

"I voted for McCain because I wanted to see Bush fail," laughs Julian of San Jose, who declined to give her last name. Her laughter stops when her tablemate, a business partner of her husband's, reveals that he is a firm Bush supporter.

"I don't think that Republican would go out of their way like that to make another party fail...It's too much effort," he explains, then goes on to say that the Republican separation created by McCain has been bad for the party.

Pete, 35, another registered Democrat from San Jose who was reluctant to give his last name, voted for McCain because he honestly thought he was the best canidate. He asserts a need for a third party in the United States and says he will probably "just leave the ballot blank in the presidential election."

At 8:20, McCain is presented via the CNN coverage from the TV over the bar. He gives his speech through smiles and winks at the energetic crowd in Los Angeles.

"We will never give up our mission," he says. "The Republican party needs to recover its purpose of the country it serves."

The Bogie pizza crowd claps at the end.

Angela, slightly pumped, is the only one who pipes up with a glimmer of hope, "Anyone got any extra signs? Utah needs our signs!" she yells.