Standing in the midst of the not-so-victorious victory party at the Hyatt in Monterey, a glass of Lockwood Partner’s Reserve in hand, Monterey County Republican Party Political Director Brandon Gesicki didn’t look overly distressed at Barack Obama’s historic win.

“I think we all know what’s coming,” Gesicki said, around 7:30pm on Nov. 4. “Obviously, it’s not the outcome I was looking for. Obviously the country is going to get change. We’ll see if the country likes the change we get. Sen. Obama has a chance to be a good president– or he has a chance to be a Jimmy Carter.”

Local Republicans had been partying (drowning their sorrows?) since 5pm. Some GOPers who stopped in: former Supervisor Butch Lindley (a Lockwood partner), former Marina Mayor Ila Mettee-McCutchon and reelected Monterey Mayor Chuck Della Sala.

County Supervisor Lou Calcagno showed up closer to 8pm, about the time when Obama clinched the election. Calcagno said choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate “hurt Sen. John McCain greatly. To be honest, everybody I talked to except one person agreed that she wasn’t the right choice.”

State Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria), whom 27th District Central Coast voters reelected on Nov. 4, said the banking crisis– and President George Bush– dealt fatal blows to McCain’s campaign. “The economic crisis and three weeks of President Bush on the tube– I think that really hurt Sen. McCain,” he said, adding that Obama’s win, “says a lot about America.

“America respects and honors diversity. At the end of the day, Sen. Obama is now going to be our president. We wish him well.”