An Election Night Out: CNN’s Blogger Bash

The scene last night at Tryst with CNN’s live broadcast from its blogger bash.

What: CNN's E-lection Night Blogger Party

Where: Tryst Coffeehouse in Adams Morgan

When: All day and night.

Who: The regular crowd of hipster novelists-to-be had been cleared out so CNN could host many of the nation's top bloggers. Among them: AmericaBlog's John Aravosis, Atrois' Duncan Black, Reason's Nick Gillespie, Human Events' Robert Bluey, MyDD's Jerome Armstrong, John Amato from Crooke and Liars (who flew in from the West Coast), and Wonkette's Alex Pareene and Liz Gorman. Also present were CNN's dashing internet team—Jacki Schechner and Abbi Tatton—lots of grizzled CNN production folks and two burly security guards in case any of the Pajamahadeen got too rowdy and needed to be taught a lesson in respect.

Scene: It was a brilliant move by the mainstream media—collect the nation's top bloggers in one room, feed them, then crash the internet connection so that none of them can post and the only place for anyone to get news is from, you guessed it, the mainstream media networks. Overall, internet problems notwithstanding, the night was like an Apple-sponsored college reunion of people who hadn't necessarily ever met in college—many of the bloggers had known each other by email or their writing but never met in person before. Laptops covered every available surface, and roving gangs of cameramen and lighting technicians attacked bloggers to record their thoughts on blogging about being bloggers at bloggers party.

Mood: Thrilled to be there. Giddy about election night. Generally blase about the results.

Food: Large buffet dinner, trays of desserts around 11 p.m.

Beverages of Choice: Coffee drinks mostly. Atrios enjoyed repeated glasses of red wine.

Schadenfreude Moment: When Fox News Channel mistakenly sent out an email claiming, "FNC just projected that Bob Casey (D) has defeated incumbent George Allen (R) for the Virginia Senate seat."

Reason’s Nick Gillespie makes a point to CNN’s Jacki Schechner.

The once-anonymous Atrios, Duncan Black, with his ever-present glass of red wine.

Wonkette’s Alex Pareene wearing a t-shirt that dislikes him.

Bloggers and a buffet—what could make them happier?

Garrett M. Graff