NASHUA, NH–The young, initially exuberant crowd assembled in the Nashua High School gymnasium expected to celebrate a decisive victory for Barack Obama tonight. Instead, they sat and waited, shuffling their feet nervously with hushed voices as the surprising returns came in, this time, in favor of the opposition. They weren’t alone in their disbelief, even pundits such as Chris Matthews and Tom Brokaw (as well as this blog’s staff) had to admit they were led astray by recent polling.

As the night wore on the only hope came from college towns who had yet to report their results, but even then Clinton’s early lead of 2% refused to shrink. Every 200 vote swing would prompt groans or cheers from the crowd, but the margin stayed so constant on through into the night that the networks finally called the results for Hillary Clinton at 10:30. New Hampshire’s recently elected congressman and woman tried to come out and pump up the crowd, but nothing could wake the Obama patrons who were still in shock from what was supposed to be a runaway victory. Finally, the Senator from Illinois emerged and the energy from the crowd lifted at the sight of his face.

Obama’s knack for giving a speech has been his strength during this campaign, but giving a concession speech is whole new ball game, no matter the candidate. As he conceded the state’s delegates to Hillary Clinton and congratulated her on her victory, the crowd only half heartedly gave him their approval. It seemed like the wind had been knocked out of his sails, that his spirits had been broken. But then, in an instant, Obama flipped on a switch of such passion and energy that he made every person in that room, however dejected and discouraged they might have been, believe again. “For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we’ve been told we’re not ready, or we should’nt try, or we can’t, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums of the spirit of a people: “Yes We Can!’”

And with that, he took off. He implored the rest of the country to not give up hope, he again proclaimed, “Yes, we can!” Over and over he pressed the issue. To all the doubters and cynics who say he cannot win, he said, “Yes we can!” To all who say there will never be “a new majority” in this country made up of Democrats and Republicans and Independents, he shouted “Yes, we can!”

With those three words he left the stage to an ecstatic, rejuvenated crowd, clapping and screaming, who, at least for a few moments, seemed to forget about the night’s unexpected loss almost completely.

Trevor Timm is a Blast Magazine staff writer