Politics & Government

Watch Party Goers Pleased with SOTU Address

Host says an anti-Republican sentiment motivated him to stage the event at his home.

Quiet intensity permeated the room as a dozen people watched President Barack Obama give his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

The Obama supporters came together in a South Tampa home for one of the more than 2,500 organized watch parties held throughout the country.

“I’m not really politically active, but seeing what the Republicans are doing over the past few years — it’s infuriating,” said James DeCambria, who hosted the event. “This is my contribution to counter that.”

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Many of those who joined DeCambria were Obama supporters. Most didn’t know each other, but they were happy to come together for a common cause — to show their support for the President.

“I’m very pleased,” said Pamela Gomez of Tampa following the speech. “I thought it was good he addressed my issues right off the bat.”

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Earlier in the evening, Gomez explained her passion for the Dream Act, which would provide enhanced educational access and rights to non-American-born children living in the United States.

The Dream Act is "one of the main issues that makes me go out there and get people to vote," she said.

Gomez registered more than 7,000 Latino voters in 2010, she said.

Others at the party watch the address intently, only providing an occasional smattering of applause. One man took notes.

Did you watch the SOTU address? Send your questions about the speech to Patch and a representative from the Obama administration may answer your question in a video like this. Just email your questions to Sherri.Lonon@patch.com and we'll pass them on for a chance to get a direct answer from the adminstration. Only a few questions from across the country will be answered in video form, but yours might be one of them!


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