Excitement Waning?

On Election night, New Yorkers poured into the streets to celebrate Obama's historic win.

Here's a YouTube video with film of the reaction on St. Mark's place in the East Village-- spontaneous dancing on the street:

... and in Williamsburg:

...and in Harlem:


When I started reporting this story, I thought that the momentum of these events would carry on to Jan. 20. As I called and reached out to sources for the story, many of Obama's supporters in New York vowed to be in D.C. for the Inauguration.

But as I continue reporting, I have found that the majority of those I talked to are now recanting. The story seems to be changing before my eyes. Rather than excitement mounting, I see excitement waning. Though there have been predictions of crowds up to 5 million, I am now wondering whether the numbers will be significantly lower.