In celebration of Tuesday night’s Presidential Election, Comedy Central brought a massive party inside the walls of the pristine Edison Ballroom for their “Indecision 2012” campaign, rallying both left and right wingers, celebrity guests, comedians, and media personnel all under the same roof to watch the historic results pour in. The decadent ballroom was meticulously transformed into an all out election headquarters, outfitted with red, white, and blue inspired décor and dozens of big screen televisions all tuned into news coverage of the political happenings, as guests anxiously awaited the 11pm hour- not for the election results, but to rally around the screens to watch the live broadcast of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report.”

While the evening remained a celebration around the election, the spirit inside the ballroom was hardly political. Certainly there were sprinklings of Obama fans donning t-shirts and shiny pins here and there, but the night revolved more about the Comedy Central party than the election itself. With plush couches and tables strewn about the space of the ballroom and with a bevy of friendly workers passing out drinks and passed around hors d’oeuvres, “Indecision 2012” became an ideal setting for mingling and networking, beneath the backdrop of a DJ working the mix of Top 40 songs from the late 1990’s. To effectively promote the network, attendees were also handed scratch off tickets upon entering as well as repeatedly throughout the party which could be redeemed for Comedy Central t-shirts, glasses, and other branded merchandise- a nice touch for guests looking for keepsake memories of Election Night.

In a nice change of pace, celebrities walked the main floor alongside the ordinary folks, posing for pictures and casually chatting with anyone willing to strike them up conversationally. The stunning Olivia Wilde in a blue starred sweater arrived early with a friend, making the rounds at each food table, while comedians like Christian Finnegan and Todd Barry kicked back for much of the evening, just people watching and shooting the proverbial breeze. Even Vincent Chase himself, Adrian Grenier arrived as the evening was nearing its conclusion, proudly rocking his Obama t-shirt and schmoozing with excited on-lookers near the live blogging lounge upstairs.

While the cacophony of sound inside the ballroom ranged from conversation to election coverage to the DJ’s music, as soon as the 11pm hour struck, all eyes and ears were tuned to “The Daily Show” and subsequently “The Colbert Report,” as the televisions quickly aligned on Comedy Central. The station’s satirical coverage of the election quickly captivated attendees, despite a relatively sound trumping in the final poll results. On the evening that incumbent President Barack Obama would roundly defeat Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in his bid to become the 45th President of the United States, Comedy Central’s Election night party in New York City for “Indecision 2012” effectively fused both style and substance in the only way they know how- fair and balanced.

- Jane Van Arsdale