The color of the room was decidedly blue, and given that one of Wednesday's most well-attended presidential debate watch parties was hosted by the it's a good bet that the majority of the viewers in the standing-room-only headquarters in Belmont were Democrats.
But whether attendees were Democrat, Republican or undecided, they enjoyed the camaraderie of others who came out to participate in some important civil discourse while taking in a bit of political theater that focused on domestic policy.
County party chair David Burruto welcomed volunteers and guests to the event, which included pizza, salad, soda, and Obama Ale, while volunteers took the opportunity to enlist attendees for upcoming precinct walking, phone banking and other campaign events.
Buttons, yard signs, literature, t-shirts and assorted political swag were available for all candidates endorsed by the SMC Democratic Party.
Local candidates Assemblymember Jerry Hill (State Senate) and Shelly Masur (San Mateo County Board of Supervisors) were on hand to greet voters and watch the debate. Hill gave a rousing speech to kick-off the debate between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, which was streamed live.
Following the debate, Belmont resident Julie B. said she admired Obama's confidence, "Obama was fabulous. I loved the way he looked directly into the camera more than Romney did."
There will be two more debate watch parties hosted by the SMC Democratic Party: Oct. 11 and 22.
The SMC Democratic Party Headquarters is located at 650 El Camino Real in Belmont. For more information, go to www.sanmateodemocrats.org.
