There was a jubilant mixture of schadenfreude and genuine surprise in the air at the Massachusetts rally for Donald Trump's campaign Tuesday night. Beacon Hill veterans and political neophytes alike were both elated and amazed that Donald Trump pulled off a series of victories in the East and Midwest to run up the score on Hillary Clinton enough to secure the presidency.
And there were the told-you-so's, ably lead by the state's top Trumpeteer, Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr. Carr presided over the brief on-stage remarks at the rally, housed in Richard Valentine's F1 indoor racing cart facility in Braintree. The conservative scribe and radio host lead the crowd - some in suits, some in sweats, most in Trump hats - in one last rendition of the campaign's fight song: Lock Her Up, Lock Her Up.
A popular attraction for the few hundred GOP fans that fill the function space was the cardboard cutouts of Trump partiers lined up to take selfies with while Fox News and Sean Hannity blared on over the loudspeakers and on a projector screen.
Of course, most of Massachusetts voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton, putting Trump voters int he Commonwealth firmly in the minority. There are family, friends and coworkers who voted for Clinton and may have even been greatly offended by Candidate Trump that now must reckon with the idea of President Trump.
Jenny Cheung from Braintree tells her Democratic sister to focus on Trump's goals of fixing the American economy and political system - instead of on the man himself.
"Well, I told her to compare the policy, not to look at the personality of the candidate, that's how I approach it. Because of his conviction to fix up the country I think that makes more sense in terms of his policy and all that, so..." Cheung said.
There was a certain amount of gloating among the Trump crowd last night, but now many of them are looking forward to seeing how Trump may preside as president.
With Donald Trump quite possibly in the White House come January, Gov. Charlie Baker could find himself in the awkward position of having to work with a president he completely disavowed. Baker said over and over that he doesn't think Trump is fit to be president and he refused to vote for anybody Tuesday.
Now he'll have to work with Trump not only as one of fifty governors, but as Trump reshapes the Republican party after his historic win.
Last night before returns were in, state Republican Party chair Kirsten Hughes said Baker's record of bipartisanship will aid him, even though Trump's in the same party.
"Gov. Baker has proven that he can work with anybody of goodwill and that he is willing to do that, so um, so I don't expect any problems going forward if Donald Trump is successful tonight," Hughes said.
We'll see how Trump's federal government treats the Commonwealth next year.
