London's Democrats go wild for the Obama drama

Whatever your views on the nature of US politics one thing is indisputable - the world's attention was firmly fixed on the United States on Tuesday as the nation went to the polls to elect a president.

So I couldn't resist joining the official Democrats Abroad election night party in London to watch the results roll in and get the Morning Star a slice of the action.

I was one of around 600 who packed into a pub covered from ceiling to floor in stars and stripes for a sold-out event, exclusively for US citizens and their guests only.

Of course the politicos were joined by dozens of other journalists, including reporters from major US television networks and newspapers getting the reactions of "absentee voters."

Because even though those around me were separated from their country by thousands of miles of Atlantic Ocean, they had all been able to vote in their home states through absentee ballots, similar to our postal votes.

Not only had they been voting, but many had been spending hours volunteering in the Democratic Party's only campaign office outside the US.

Democrats Abroad vice-chairwoman Karin Robinson explained: "We've been using our campaign office in London to contact supporters by telephone, do a lot of voter registration, outreach to American community groups, schools and alumni associations.

"Earlier on people were trying to spin me on the idea that there has been a lack of Democratic enthusiasm - but our people are really fired up."

And I spoke to Karen, one of dozens of volunteers who had been been busy phoning Democrat supporters living across Europe, Africa, south America and Canada.

I chatted to dozens of US citizens - typically enthusiastic and eager to tell their stories - who had played an active part in the campaign that culminated on Tuesday.

It was clear from those conversations that despite an often destructive and deeply entrenched two-party system that limits democratic choice and debate, participation in community campaigning remains high.

Perhaps it was that grass-roots participation that delivered plenty of good news across the board for working-class campaigners, on a night when the radical right threatened, at least for a few hours, to gain power.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was re-elected on a independent socialist ticket as one of only two independent senators.

There were huge cheers in this corner of London when hateful rape-apologist Republicans Tod Akin and Richard Mourdock lost their Senate seats to Democrats.

And trade unions were hailed by commentators and Democrats alike for delivering crucial swing states like Ohio for Obama.

The president had ploughed state funds into saving thousands of jobs in the motor industry in Ohio and workers reponded by mobilising to guarantee the Democrat four more years.

Only a handful of Britain-based Democrats had slunk back home as the party entered its fifth hour and the previously cautious started to allow themselves to get excited about an Obama victory.

Stephanie Stewart, who had been at the Democratic convention to formally nominate Barack Obama as her party's presidential candidate earlier this year, told me: "I'm always worried and I want to see the end result but I'm very excited. I think the result is probably there."

With one multibillion-dollar race to the White House coming to a close I asked Stephanie whether she'd be nominating Hillary Clinton to become the US's first female president in 2016, but she merely says it's early days yet.

But even as exit polls showed state after state turning blue, it was only when news channels announced Barack Obama would remain President of the United States that the party really got started.

Photographers rushed to capture scenes of unrestrained joy as hugs and high-fives were exchanged all around.

With the sun coming up, organisers dilegently tidied and took down flags. Most trudged wearily out into a cold London morning for the first Tube and some bravely headed once more to the bar, all satisfied their country was in safe hands for another four years.