Last night, the grassroots organization, MoveOn.org had nationwide, “Yes We Can!” parties all across the country. In an attempt to bond with my fellow common man, I watched Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at V Lounge in Santa Monica. I settled on V Lounge because, is there anything more “LA” than attending a political event at a nightclub?

I drove right past V Lounge the first time I went down Wilshire Blvd., probably because, like any nightclub worth its salt, the lounge has no identifying titles on its exterior façade. I should have noticed the line of middle-aged white people.

At 6:20, when I arrived, the club was about half full. The group clapped when the sound from the TV was piped through the club’s sound system. Yes, people did actually want to hear Obama’s speech.

3. The only time you’ll see C-SPAN broadcast at a nightclub.

4. There were plenty of people dressed in Obama gear, but I was expecting more. Of course, there were a few people with swag to go around. Nancy Niparko sported the midwestern mother look.

5. Michelle Morton told me she got her shirt from either Amazon or eBay. And like all of the people I spoke to, she’s excited for an Obama presidency. “My God, this is awesome!,” Norton said. “I’m so happy! We’re going to have someone as our president who speaks English, cares about us, and isn’t looting our treasury.”

6. Vince Duffy is convinced Obama will win if the youth turn out to vote. And he thinks the best way to communicate with them is to speak their language. He designed the T-shirt he’s wearing and is working to sell it on college campuses. “Young kids know ‘Pimp’ means cool!” Duffy said.

7. This event was like a night out at a club in so many ways. People were lined up three-deep at the bar the whole evening, the kitchen was slow …

8. … And it was dreadfully hot inside. By the time Obama’s speech started, I was sweating, and I noticed quite a few other damp brows. You’ve gotta love fan-only ventilation.

9. When the Barack Obama profile video started at 7:00 sharp, V Lounge was packed. Every seat was taken, and people were also sitting on the ground. Obama draws a cosmopolitan crowd.

10. Ruth and Irv Sarnoff take the prize for cutest old couple out to support their candidate. And Ruth is confident about Obama’s chances: “He’s got a damn good shot.”

11. And like any good nightclub, there were empty beer bottles everywhere. Turns out Obama literature makes great coasters!

Obama’s speech may have been conventional, but the crowd at V Lounge was loving every line. A couple hometown favorites:

“We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets …”

Applause for this makes sense in a Santa Monica crowd.

“Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps—even if you don’t have boots. You’re on your own.”

After this line, the guy behind me said, “He’s on fire!”

12. I must have picked a good venue to watch the speech—Both Univision and NBC’s Los Angeles affiliates were getting footage inside V Lounge

13. Simone Shah, one of the club’s investors, was the host of the evening. Earlier in the night she pitched in to bus some tables. Shah told me later that she estimated around 400 people were at V Lounge watching the address. She said, “Things were a little bit too good. There were more people than we expected. I only thought 30 of my friends would come. I didn’t think this many people were mobilized.”

14. If Ruth and Irv were the cutest couple, Ed Chaidez was the most dapper. After the speech ended, Chaidez said he was positive about Obama’s chances. “As long as Democrats can stay together and fight against the unity of the Republicans,” he said, “Obama has a good shot.”

15. This little dog was working for Obama, too!

16. At 8:20, the evening was over. It’s the earliest I’ve ever seen a nightclub empty.

Tags: los angeles, Move On, Santa Monica, Yes We Can