Meanwhile, at Obama HQ… we await our Leader

In the aftermath of the speech, the very friendly, largely white- and middle-aged crowd of Democrats at the Organizing for America gathering to watch Obama’s State of the Union is gathered eagerly around a laptop computer in a pub, awaiting a national conference call from President Barack Obama to his activists.

The sound is turned down on the television, where Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is responding to the President. One of the organizers is running through a list of future events and political campaigns for people to join.

Everyone has been very friendly. Watching the State of the Union with Democrats is kind of like watching it with Republicans, except they clap at exactly the wrong moments. They also have a particular disdain for Rep Paul Ryan (R-WI), who drew boos and hisses, as well as the women who sat stone-faced when the President talked about new legislation on violence against women and equal pay (all over again).