Lib Dem councillor Paul Elgood was one of the 125,000 people celebrating Barack Obama’s election victory in Grant Park, Chicago, on the night of 4th November. Here’s his eyewitness report…

Chicago: Nov 4th 2008

It seems as if the whole world has come to Chicago. Planes full of the world’s press have descended on the city and were met by perhaps half a million party-goers hoping to celebrate the election results.

Barack Obama voted first thing this morning, having finished a final whirlwind tour of key states. He voted at dawn to make the point to his supporters to vote as early as possible and then help to get the vote out. He started polling day in Chicago, but he nipped down into the key swing state of Indiana just to make sure.

Chicago literally has come to a halt, with gigantic crowds heading to Grant Park on Chicago’s lake front. A huge stage, massive screens and a press village the size of a small town was put up in just a week. Chicago wants to show off, not just its new President-elect but also as a candidate city for the 2016 Olympics. But this is an epic city on grand proportions not seen in the UK, and so its vast parks and urban spaces could take the huge numbers.

The victory rally is overwhelming in size, but what is amazing is how young the people here are. Warm weather has drawn the crowds, and they are fanatical.

After four long hours of waiting, the huge screens show CNN giving Obama the Presidency. Only in America do TV channels declare a new President.

The flags are passed out. The words of Martin Luther King blast around the field. And then it’s the final sound check…’the final sound check for the next President of the United States’, says the young sound checker enjoying his fifteen seconds of fame. The crowd go wild and we forget four hours of pain standing in a chilly Chicago field, and don’t even notice that the flags don’t get as far back as ten rows where we are. There are 64,000 behind us, who all want their go at flag waving.

It’s two minutes until we hear from McCain. Seems hopeless for him with Ohio gone. How will the crowd react here? Obama on his way from his hotel, we’re told. They go wild. A young girl faints close by, nothing to do with Obama being on his way, more the crush of the crowd surge. And then up comes Rev Jesse Jackson – its all down to him apparently. But before he could claim too much the tv cuts away to McCain enjoying a ‘beautiful Arizona evening’. The people have spoken he says. The Chicago crowd listens in silent respect. Seems the same in Arizona too. But Chicago doesn’t listen so quietly to McCain’s tribute to Sarah Palin, no surprise there then.

What about Florida someone shouts. No one cares.

A Bishop appears, they pray. Then it’s the pledge of allegiance. And don’t forget the national anthem. It brings the house down.

Then the rock show starts, whilst a lone man walks out and places a folder on the podium. The speech of course. What do they tell Lib Dem candidates? Have two speeches – a winning one and a losing one. Obama only needs one.

And here we go. Its Obama, the crowd goes wild and then wild again and again. The rest is history.

* Cllr Paul Elgood is Liberal Democrat leader on Brighton & Hove City Council. He blogs at The Brunswick Blog.