Philly celebrates Obama's win

As each state won by President Obama was ticked off, the cheers got louder and louder at the Pennsylvania for Obama party at the Warwick Hotel in Center City Tuesday night.

As MSNBC declared Obama the winner, Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" blasted from the speakers, rattling the mezzanine's grand chandeliers, and Obama supporters danced, jumped up and down and cheered.

"I'm speechless, happy, relieved, ecstatic, overjoyed, grateful," Obama volunteer Amy Fitzpatrick, 56, said as her eyes welled with tears of joy. Fitzpatrick, of South Philly, said she volunteered for the campaign for a year and a half.

John Gribben, 49, a volunteer team leader for Obama in Queen Village, said he was "elated" to see Obama win a second term.

"People are inspired by Obama, especially young, minority men," said Gribben, who grew up in Germantown. "I've seen young African-American men thinking of themselves as being President of the United States. That wasn't a possibility for them four years ago."

Eileen McCaskill danced and sipped a glass of red wine as people celebrated Obama's victory.

The former principal in the Philadelphia School District said she worked as a staging director for the campaign in South Philadelphia.

"I believe what he believes," she said of Obama. "I'm just a believer in his philosophies, his inclusiveness, his ability to move forward."

Contact Morgan Zalot at zalotm@phillynews.com or 215-854-5928. Follow her on Twitter @morganzalot.