Colorado gonzo journalist Dr. Hunter Thompson spent Election Night home at Owl Farm [2] with a small circle of friends, fielding phone calls from assorted celebrities, ranging from Sean Penn to to presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. Thompson read the writing on the wall fairly early, and puts the blame for Kerry's defeat on evangelicals and young voters who failed to turn out in record numbers as anticipated. What went wrong in Colorado? Here's what he told Sean Penn:

Colorado has gone to hell like all the other states," Thompson said into the speakerphone. "They must have all voted the same way they prayed."

Thompson has nothing but praise for John Kerry, whom he got to know while serving as his unofficial tour guide this summer in Aspen. And despite his disappointment at the outcome, he finds something to be postive about :

"Their army is how much bigger than mine? Three percent? Well shucks, Bubba. Now is the time to establish a network and an attitude," he said. "You make friends in moments of defeat. People in defeat tend to bond because they need each other. We can't take the attitude that it's over and we give up. We're still here." Thompson added: "I'm proud to have known John Kerry."