Voice Trak

Adam, Norm and the RNC

2008-09-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday 9/4/2008
Xcel Energy Ctr.
St. Paul MN 1730 CT

Greetings from the Land of 10000 Lakes. It has been, thus far, one of the strangest conventions I have ever covered. It started off as no convention at all. Eclipsed by events meteorologic in New Orleans.

But like Matt Kenseth, we shot from a standstill to about 200 mph in a heartbeat with the speech of AK Gov. Sarah Palin last night. It energized the faithful and as someone, somewhere wrote or said, it gave the GOP their own Obama with all the excitement that entails.

But who cares about any of that? I'm still dumbstruck by the breakfast I had this AM. Our party went to what should be a midwest institution the food is so good. A restaurant in Minneapolis called Hells Kitchen. As soon as we sat down I realized that one table over was the actor, Adam Arkin dining with a friend. Arkin is probably best known for his role on CBS' series "Chicago Hope".

That wasn't terribly remarkable in and of itself. I saw Spike Lee, Susan Sarandon, and Josh Lucas roaming around at the DNC so you come to expect that sort of thing. What threw me for a loop was when Arkin and his dining companion got up to leave, I realized that I recognized the second man also. It was none other than Norm "son-of-a-gun" Gunderson (John Caroll Lynch) of "Fargo".

Now that's about as esoteric a spotting as one could hope for. I'm not sure whether or not I'm more shocked that he was there or that I recognized him and knew who he was or marveled at the fact that it was in MN of all places or what. But Norm Gunderson? Does it get any weirder than that?

"It's just a three cent stamp."

Day 2 Recap

2008-08-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

1141 MT Pepsi Ctr. Denver, CO

Lost in the media crush surrounding Hillary Clinton's speech Tuesday night in Denver was the rousing speech given by Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. (Full disclosure: I am a native Montanan) It was hokey. It was politically predictable. It was awkward and yet it was strangely engrossing.

First a bit of a prologue. Former VA Gov. Mark Warner was the convention keynote speaker and he came on stage about an hour before Schweitzer. His speech was a dud. Pure and simple. I have seen more life out of a wet spaghetti noodle. The crowd in the Pepsi Center largely ignored him and talked amongst themselves (an annoying and all to common quality at these events that often isn't picked up by those watching at home.) A couple of speakers followed Warner and did little better.

It's my feeling that you really have to engage the audience at these things to have a chance. Especially when they are all eagerly anticipating HRC. It's a little like being the opening act at a rock concert. You had better bring your 'A' game or fans will see you as little more than a nuisance which is delaying the main act. Well, out came Schweitzer at about 8:15 local time and at first it seemed like the crowd would ignore him too. But about five minutes in you could sense something happening. The hall slowly started to quiet and you could see that they were starting to pay attention. (It didn't help that Bill Clinton entered the arena and made his way to his seat at the beginning of Schweitzer's speech grabbing everybody's attention.) Schweitzer's tempo changed. His pitch got a little higher as if there was more urgency. He rocked back and forth and you could lip read President Clinton say "This guy is really, really good." The Governor punched the accelerator bringing the 20,000 Dems to their feet and just like that bounded off the stage, bluejeans, bolo tie and all.

I have to profess some shock at how well the speech was received. I have always thought Schweitzer comes off as a little bit of a used car salesman but the national media gushed:

CNN's Jeffrey Toobin said that he was this convention's Barack Obama. A reference to Obama's stunning speech four years ago in Boston.

The Washington Post's Chris Cilizza wrote "Schweitzer won himself some admirers tonight and ensured that he will almost certainly be in the mix the next time the Democratic Party goes looking for national candidates."

Time's Mark Halperin effusively called it " A folksy, tough, funny, home-run of a speech."

Clearly the communications folks in the Obama campaign knew what they had in Schweitzer. You don't give a primetime speaking spot to the governor of a rural state just for kicks especially not on the night that HRC is giving her all important "Unity" speech which was sure to bring even more eyeballs into the equation.

Obama himself seemed a little surprised by Schweitzer's speech. At a speech in Billings, MT this morning he elicited some laughs from the locals when mentioned their governor.

"He's unique. Even for Montana he's a pretty unique guy." said Obama.

Quite possibly the understatement of the day.

Denver sights and sounds

2008-08-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

2:28 MT Pepsi Ctr. Denver, CO

Some quick musings from the Mile high city: It has been fairly quiet on the news front. Not much on the protester front aside from the 80 year old guy who got swept up by the men in blue.

There of course was the supposed plot to bump off Obama which was quickly discredited by the US Attorney here. It sounds more like a couple of meth-addled morons decided to talk tough to their white supremacist buddies. Anybody on the ground here had to laugh at the idea of some miscreants trying to shoot Obama while he's in Invesco. Too much security and no vantage point for someone with a rifle anywhere near the venue. That's probably why there wasn't as much coverage in the national news as their might have been. You couldn't take this particular threat seriously.

Got a chance to walk around downtown Denver a little this morning. There is convention related stuff everywhere you turn. Whether its buttons or t-shirts. Fans or signs. Hats or condoms. Yes, even Trojan has a tent. Insert joke here.

There are allegedly 62,000 Denver-ites within 1.5 miles of downtown Denver but it appears they may have all taken a collective vacation. As far as the eye could see this morning there were signs of Democratic outlanders who have invaded for the week. Whether it's the blue hair from Kentucky with her 500 convention pins crammed onto a baseball cap or union organizer with his "Democrats make better Lovers." t-shirt (Maybe the Trojan tent is aimed at him), they are downtown in force.

More facts and figures in my next post...

Day 1 Recap

2008-08-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

2PM MT Pepsi Ctr. Denver, CO

20 years from now when people look back on the 2008 DNC in Denver they will think of two things. Obviously whether or not Barack Obama is/was elected President but also and perhaps more poignantly, they will remember Ted Kennedy electrifying the partisan crowd in what may be his final convention.

The headliner was billed as Michelle Obama humanizing her husband but as well as her speech went, it still played second fiddle to the hagiographic scene that surrounded the so-called lion of the senate.

Spirited in Sunday night aboard a private jet Kennedy spent much of Monday in the hospital and reportedly made his convention appearance against doctor's orders. One wonders however, how much of this story was trumped up a little in order the burnish the Kennedy image. If you learn nothing else about these conventions it is that they are made-for-TV events where embellishment and showmanship go hand in hand. Don't let the facts get in the way of a good yarn.

Kennedy was preceded by his niece, Caroline and a short video extolling his various virtues. The whole thing had the strange feel of an obituary in progress. The audience however could not get enough, roaring their approval at all the appropriate points and sending the senator off in style.

Groooaaaaaaannnnn....

2008-08-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

6:10 PM Pepsi Ctr. Denver, CO

Wow. All hail the "Shtu" and his hard hitting sitdown with Barack Obama where the hard revealing topics ranged from Obama's youthful Afro to who he would pick as a Veep if it had to be an athlete. (He picked Jordan and Walter Payton).

It never ceases to amaze me that the four letter continues to trot that talent-less, lazy eye out there. Clutch your mouse with disbelief as Shtu drives on Obama for a layup and then does his best Rod Tidwell squeal after the shot falls. Hard hitting indeed.

Storm clouds in Denver?

2008-08-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

5:36PM MT Pepsi Ctr.
Denver, CO

Well that's the story line the cable nets are pushing as we plow into Day One of DNC Denver.
CNN is acting like Armageddon is about to take place between the Hilary and Obama camps over whether and how her delegates will be counted. You sense there are still some undercurrents of hate between the two campaigns but my guess is come Thursday night all the wounds will be healed. This smells like little more than a drummed up controversy for the nets and nothing more.

I've seen several of the surrogates floating around the arena but the A-listers won't start arriving until tonight in primetime when we expect that Ted Kennedy may make an appearance. That could be a "bring-the-house-down" moment as everyone seems to think this will be his last convention.

Sights and sounds wise, I'm at a loss to offer too much. We haven't seen a hint of protestors anywhere near the Pepsi Center. That's a testament to the monumental security here in the Mile High City. It's tighter even than the NYC GOP soiree four years ago and that is really saying something. It's not just a cop on every corner but 20 on every corner. The security outlay for this convention is rumored to be north of 40 million. Begging the question of what a million bucks will buy you anymore? More posts as time permits...

MT/SD dissed by MSM

2008-06-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

OK. Let me climb up on my soapbox here. As a native Montanan I was disappointed by the lack of political coverage the state got the night of the primary. Granted, from my perch on the main press riser in the Xcel Energy Center I by no means could monitor all the networks. In fact, we were all limited to watching MSNBC's coverage on the Jumbotron perched high above our heads like some massive, modern-day guillotine. Did I mention that they shut it off about five minutes before HRC made her non-concession speech? So based on this thin swath of coverage that I saw, I am grabbing my cudgel and preparing to hammer away.

Where was John King with his magic wonder board? Where were the reporters with the brilliant vistas as background for countless live reports? Where was the feature on the grizzled farmer having breakfast at some greasy diner or the drunk college kids screaming for their candidate?

Dissed. That's where. Neither campaign could find it within their hearts to grace Montana or South Dakota with a final victory party. 16 and 15 delegates can't buy you that. So just like that, the first primary of any significance in the Treasure State since probably forever went by the boards. In four years we'll be just another fly-over state that's lucky to get even one visit...maybe.

The End...

2008-06-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Wash DC 1500 ET

We've reached the end. Well sort of. After more days on the road than I can count, the race for the Democratic nomination is now finally, mercifully over.* Yes, the asterisk means exactly what you think it does. HRC is not totally bailing out. Word has it that she will simply suspend her campaign this Saturday, not end it. Of course that just means that she realizes she cannot win but is hoping that a skeleton or two falls out of Obama's closet between now and November.

This was the scene Tuesday night in St. Paul MN. A massive crowd of 17,000 inside the Xcell Energy Center (Home of the Minnesota Wild) and another reported 15000 outside. There was some thought that declaring victory on the site of this September's GOP Convention was an ingenious slap at the Republicans. I doubt if it even registered with most people. I for one would just as soon seen him declare victory in Montana but being from there makes me biased on the subject.

...continued

2008-04-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

To finish my thoughts on the previous post...You are struck by how out of context the Rev. Wright has been taken UNTIL he rolls right off the tracks with his contentions that the US government is somehow responsible for AIDS and that the political attacks that have centered on him are NOT in fact attacks on him personally but attacks on black churches in general. OK. Well the first contention is so far outside of the mainstream as to be in urban legend territory and the second and more germaine to this website is simply a naive spin.

In many ways Jeremiah Wright is incidental to all of this. He is just a tool that Barack Obama's detractors can reach for and cudgel him with. So to say that what has happened in the media is somehow an indictment of black churches in general is laughable. If HRC or McCain had video tape of one of Obama's economic advisors espousing some radical concepts they would be using that in much the same way. Let's not forget that this story has been out there for months. It didn't grow legs until someone dug up video tape of Wright and played the controversial soundbites. Gotta love TV dontcha?

Wright or wrong?

2008-04-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

Washington DC, 1456 ET

Been awhile. I almost forgot what the web address for this joint was. A couple of quick observations from this morning's Jeremiah Wright speech at the National Press Club...

First, MY GOD! Don't we (the media) have anything better to do than this? There were easily between 40 and 50 cameras at this event. To borrow from Warhol, this guy is at the apex of his 15 minutes right now. I just don't think the coverage is warranted.

Second and not surprisingly, the man is thoughtful, articulate, and not near the caricature that the MSM and others would have you believe that he is. He does suffer from a tendency to want to play to the crowd however. He had several supporters at the Press Club today and they were easy to hear whether you were in the room or watching at home on CSPAN.

I'll leave it there for now. Gotta run out the door and cover something at the State Dept...

More Debate...

2008-02-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

2207 ET...Russert just tripped Obama on his pledge to take public financing. Rather shocked that he didn't have a better response given that McCain hit him on this issue last week.

2210...On Farrakhan and his apparent support of Obama..Do people in Ohio and Texas really care about who supports whom?

As a quick aside I would point you all towards an interesting column in the WaPo by Dana Millbank. It gives what I think is a good picture of the group mindset in the Clinton campaign today. It sheds some light on her approach to the debate tonight.

2224...Hillary just butchered the name of the new Russian President. That'll be a YouTube moment probably before I finish typing this sentence.

Observation #3...HRC is right. Russert is full of hypothetical questions tonight.

#4...It seems like she has caught her breath and taken it down a notch.

2229...It seems like Obama is stealing HRC's equally purloined valedictory from last week in Austin. How bout a hug?

2233...HRC gets a round of applause.

That's a wrap.

Shrillary

2008-02-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

2142 ET Silver Spring, MD

Thought I would drop in for a little live-blogging of the Democratic Debate in Cleveland.

Observation #1-HRC shot out of the box in about as shrill a fashion as I have ever seen her. Her tone is 2 or 3 octaves higher than her normal voice and I can't help but think that an undecided voter tuning in would be taken aback by her "in your face" comportment.

Observation #2-MSNBC and specifically Tim Russert are "drinking CNN's milkshake," to borrow a phrase during this Oscar season. Russert is doing a good job of reeling the two Senators, especially HRC, back in. She has clearly been trying to run the old Lakers fast-break on Obama and throw him off his game. Brian Williams seemed unwilling or unable to stop her. Russert clearly has more experience in this sort of hand-to-hand verbal combat. CNN is simply not as good at putting on a debate and it is largely because their talent in not as talented.

2152 ET...They just came back from break and someone in the audience yelled "Go home Hillary!"

2155 ET...The first cackle of the evening. I'll admit to a small bias here: That cackle of her's makes my skin crawl...like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Can he win?

2008-02-16T18:48:00.000-08:00

2156 ET Silver Spring, MD

I have been scolded by a few people for not keeping up on this. Given the fact that I haven't been on the campaign trail since Super Tuesday, I wasn't really sure that I would have much to offer. Therefore I will throw out some random musings and call it a blog.

A friend of mine asked me Friday, if I really thought Obama could win the election. My initial reaction was "Sure he can." Upon further reflection, I realize there is a lot more involved in that question than perhaps I was intially ready to digest.

Sen. Obama, as the photo illustrates, is running on a platform of change. The status quo is not getting the job done for most Americans and he and we all realize it. Status quo is not something easily changed for most people. They like their routines. Big Business especially likes the status quo. Those in power like the status quo. It's comfortable and it is predictable. It's like that line from "Syriana" about corruption.

"Corruption is our protection. Corruption keeps us safe and warm. Corruption is why you and I are prancing around in here instead of fighting over scraps of meat out in the streets. Corruption is why we win."-Danny Dalton

You could easily insert "status quo" in place of "corruption" and the point is made. The forces of status quo are what Sen. Obama is fighting against. Almost like Don Quixote tilting at the proverbial windmill. Except in this instance there are a great many people who fervently believe that he can affect real, substantive change.

But can he? I've often thought about the ego a presidential candidate has to have in order to think that they can actually change anything about Washington. The bureacracy is so massive. The checks and balances that are built into the system often are impediments. What can one man or woman really do? The bureaucrats are there for life. They can just "wait you out" if they don't agree with your agenda. How do you affect change in a stagnant environment like that?

You can try the George W. Bush method of jamming your agenda down the nation's collective throat. Not very effective. You can try working behind the scenes. Work the levers of power. Use all the parliamentary gambits in the book. (This seems to be the arguement that Hillary is using on some level.) Problem with that approach is that it can take forever and it doesn't involve conscensus building so at the end of the day you may well end up in the same place as those who would employ the Bush approach. No tangible change and an enraged opposition. So what can you do?

Obama has hinted at the answer in the course of his campaigning. It is an answer that is frought with difficulty because it depends upon an informed and engaged electorate. His answer is that no entrenched interest group whether it be Congress or Big Business or some other special interest can stand up to the will of the American people so "let's enlist them." Only time will tell whether or not this tactic will be effective.

People have come out to vote in record numbers largely because of him. That may well sweep him into the White House. But will this Army of Change continue to pay attention and support him once he is there? That is very much an open question also.

This week HRC has been ramping up her rhetoric against Obama. Hoping that she might be able to steal away a victory in Wisconsin and slow his momentum. Essentially she says that he is all talk and no action. You get the sense that the Clinton campaign is really grasping at straws, doing everything in their power to slow the rising tide until Ohio and Texas vote in March. Will it be too little too late?

Polls show her up substantially in those two states but there is a lot of time between now and then. A convincing Wisconsin win could help change the polling topography for him. Ohio and Wisconsin have a number of similarities and both figure to again be swing states this fall. If she wins the Badger State then the narrative changes and the aura of inevitabilty that he has gathered in the last 10 days evaporates. In short, the fight continues to Denver.

Looks like we will be on the road to Texas later this week. Will report from there...

Super Tuesday Reflections

2008-02-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

O'hare Intl. Airport-Chicago IL 1741 CT

The majority of people who attended Sen. Obama's "Victory Party" last night would probably tell you that the most indelible moment was something from his speech or maybe watching the returns come in with a raucous crowd. Not me. No, for me the most memorable moment of Super Tuesday and the whole campaign so far for that matter was when Chicago icon Ronnie "Woo-Woo" Wickers strode through the lobby of the Hyatt Regency after midnite bellowing his trademark "Obama-WOO! Obama -WOO!" Surreal doesn't cover it.

As most anybody in the midwest can tell you, Ronnie Woo-Woo is a minor and somewhat annoying celebrity on the order of Larry Bud Melman. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Woo_Woo) If there is an event in the Windy City, especially Cubs related, you can bet he'll show up.

It would have been easy to focus on something more mainstream. Jesse Jackson quietly cheering from the back of the room, the weather, the storms in the South, or the delegate split, but I suspect years from now when someone asks me what I remember about Super Tuesday 2008 it will be Ronnie-Woo! Obama-Woo!!

The Calm Before the Storm

2008-02-05T12:19:00.000-08:00

1425 CT Chicago, IL

Super Tuesday and this is both the figurative and literal calm before the storm. Polls in some states have already closed and a winter storm of supposed epic proportions is bearing down on the midwest. Happy Fat Tuesday.

We have spent much of the day trying to worm our way into the Hyatt Regency's Grand Ballroom for tonight's Obama "Victory Party". Getting credentials is no small task when you represent the foreign media. If you can't offer American viewers and therefore votes then you head to the back of the line. We were lucky enough to score two passes but no space on the press riser. We'll get what we can.

It looks like it could be a late night as we wait for the returns to come in from California. This may be Super Tuesday but make no mistake, all eyes will be on the Golden state as it represents the largest delegate haul for both parties.

Expecting near 15 inches of snow by tomorrow morning so we may be here longer than we anticipated...

Missouri Monday, Super Tuesday

2008-02-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

St. Louis, MO 1000 ET

Flight delayed due to excess fog. We've been here in the Gateway City for the past two days to cover an Obama event and a Hillary event. Missouri figures to be one of the battleground states on Tuesday.

On Saturday, Sen. Obama drew nearly 20000 people to the Edward Jones Dome for an evening rally. The crowd filled three quarters of what normally would have been the football field. On this night is was concrete.

It was his standard stump again although he has added some conciliatory language in the wake of the Los Angeles debate which was about as touchy-feely as they come.

He continues to stick to the flawed rhetoric that he has been using to describe his health care plan. I think he is getting some really poor advice in this regard. I haven't compared the details of either one of their health plans so I can't say which would be better but when the average person is presented with two plans, one which mandates coverage and one which leaves 15 million uncovered then it seems to me that you had better have a good, short, succinct reason as to why that is the better route. He has been trotting out this "I don't meet people who don't want coverage, I meet people who can't afford it." line that Hillary has been using as a rhetorical dumbbell to hang around his neck. It may well be that his is the better plan. He's just doing a poor job of justifying it.

On Sunday afternoon we attended a much smaller Hillary event at a Machinist's local in suburban west St. Louis. Sen. Clinton showed up an hour late (standard fare) and hoarse voiced. She has been doing a good job of campaigning in my judgment. Keeping her stump fairly brief and then taking questions from the crowd. This has the double benefit of showing off her extensive knowledge of policy while also letting the people in attendance feel like there is more of a give and take with the candidate. I wouldn't be surprised if an undecided voter might come away more impressed with her as a result.

That said, it seems like Obama is gaining more traction every day. His message of hope and change is touching a nerve everywhere he goes. The polls seem to indicate that whenever people get the chance to "kick the tires" on him they come away impressed but with so little time running up to Super Tuesday the question remains whether he can reach enough voters to make a big impact. Odds are that the two candidates will come out of the Super Tuesday states with little changed and that the campaign will continue at least until Ohio and Texas vote at the end of February.

More from Chicago....

Trail mix

2008-01-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

1415 ET Washington, DC.

Well, the four state, 20 day odyssey has ended. I am back home for a short break before diving back into the the scrum that is Super Tuesday. Schedule TBA.

It took me two hours to compile my expense report from this trip and I think a forest may have ceased to exist due to all the paper I used. Political coverage often seems like one long schlep from hotel to hotel and to look at my expense report, you would think that's all we do.

Not much to offer on the GOP race and Florida's ramifications other than to say that it appears this may be the launching pad that McCain hoped it would be. There is now a sense of inevitability around his campaign that hasn't existed thus far. The Super Tuesday states seem to line up better for him than either Huckabee or Romney.

One thing that did jump out at me at McCain's victory party in Miami Tuesday night was the lack of supporters. There was probably just as many media and staff in the Miami Hilton Ballroom as genuine McCainites. That's striking when compared to Hillary and Obama who routinely draws hundreds if not thousands to their events.

The Guvenator was just on endorsing McCain with Giuliani in tow. Wonder if this is a VP test drive for Rudy?

The intrigue continues...

Florida and the GOP

2008-01-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

Miami FL 1.28.08 1900 ET

Now we shift gears back to the Republicans and the Sunshine State. Frankly, I couldn't be happier to be here. After the nasty cold I picked up in South Carolina and the 16 hour days there, this seems downright placid.

Temps in the 70's. Nary a cloud in the sky. The vibe is completely different here. In the 24 hours since we arrived, I have yet to see one yard sign for any candidates. I did see a TV commercial for Romney last night however.

Florida has this sort of bastard stepchild aura around it this year. The Dems are largely ignoring it because it's delegates don't count. (A result of moving their primary date without DNC approval) The Republicans on the other hand are portraying it as something akin to Waterloo for either Rudy Giulianni or Mike Huckabee or both. The not much publicized fact of the matter is that they too sanctioned the state for moving their primary date. Instead of taking all of their delegates away as the Dems did, the GOP only is taking half.

Fifty-seven delegates is still substantial. It is the second most awarded thus far. The bigger win than the delegate count comes image wise. Being able to say you won Florida even if it only had two delegates should be invaluable to any one of the five surviving GOP hopefuls.

Obama's win

2008-01-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

Miami, FL 1.28.08 1817ET

What can one say about the way Barack Obama blew the doors off the South Carolina Primary? It looked like it might come down to the wire only to turn into a rout with an unheard of half million voters turning out.

Something is happening here because I have a great deal of difficulty believing that Hillary Clinton is driving this kind of turnout. Whether it is disaffection with the current administration or excitement over Obama or Clinton is sauce for the goose. The sort of turnout we have been seeing not just in South Carolina but in Iowa and New Hampshire as well I think speaks well for the country. Maybe people are finally waking up and taking notice. Maybe the rhetoric of change which largely started in the campaigns of Sens. Edwards and Obama and spread like wildfire across the political spectrum has empowered people to think that it is finally possible.

Those are questions that can't be fully answered at this stage. Super Tuesday will reveal much more. For now however, you can see another Obama bounce in the making as he capitalizes on the free press that comes with winning the Palmetto state.

Superstitious?

2008-01-26T08:58:00.001-08:00

Columbia SC, 1205ET

" Very superstitious, writings on the wall,
Very superstitious, ladders bout to fall,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin glass
Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past.

When you believe in things that you dont understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition aint the way

Very superstitious, wash your face and hands,
Rid me of the problem, do all that you can,
Keep me in a daydream, keep me goin strong,
You dont wanna save me, sad is my song.

When you believe in things that you dont understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition aint the way, yeh, yeh.

Very superstitious, nothin more to say,
Very superstitious, the devils on his way,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin glass,
Seven years of bad luck, good things in your past

When you believe in things that you dont understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition aint the way, no, no, no"

If you ARE superstitious then last night's decision to play Stevie Wonder's opus TWICE before Obama took the stage was probably more than you could take.

Typically the campaign music is very message oriented with a catalog of a dozen and no more than 20 songs being cycled through during a given event. Some events will have location specific additions (ie. rural SC: more gospel etc.) while the standard stump appearance will keep to a core set of tunes.

For instance you can't go to a Hillary event without hearing "American Girl." Similiarly, you haven't been to an Obama event without hearing "Only in America" by Brooks and Dunn. A favorite across the political spectrum, I've heard that one at the occasional Hillary rally and at Bush rallies four years ago.

Other staples include healthy doses of U2, more Stevie (Signed, Sealed, Delivered at Obama), and John Mellencamp (an Edwards fave.)

The one thing I am curious about and will endeavor to discover is to what level the campaigns vet their music selections. My suspicion is that their was a high level meeting at one point where it was determined who and what songs would make the cut. Obviously to Eminem or Marilyn Manson lest the traveling press start writing about that.

Primary Day!

2008-01-26T08:36:00.001-08:00

1143ET Columbia, SC

Primary Day in SC. It looks as if there could be a record turnout at the polls today. The weather is pretty nice. The local fishwrap predicts as many as 350,000 could turn out to vote. What that means for the individual candidates is unclear. In the earlier states it usually bode well for Obama overall, but with large numbers of women voters it usually means a boost for Clinton.

A Washington Post article http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/25/AR2008012503375.html?hpid=topnews

has the gap narrowing overall with Clinton making inroads in the black demos and absolutely crushing Obama among white voters. As I alluded earlier, the wild card is Edwards. Will he siphon off enough votes to stall Clinton's rise? Polls close at 1900 ET.

The Sudafed Blues

2008-01-25T11:04:00.001-08:00

Sometimes you can just see it coming. Ten straight days of of 15 hour days and there you are, standing at the front desk of the hotel asking for directions to the nearest apothecary.

I was stricken sometime yesterday. As we waited at North Charleston High School for Sen. Obama to arrive, (over an hour late) my head felt like it was in a vice. These are the times you wish for a quick death. Hot high school gym. Droning speakers. All you want to do is go curl up in ball somewhere and fall asleep. The speech was identical to the one in in Sumter one day prior. No news to report.

Tonite we wrap up. Our other crew heads down to Charleston to cover the Bill and Hillary event this evening. We will stay with Obama and cover his final event of the day at the University of South Carolina. Obama is scheduled to take the stage at 2245. I'm not holding my breath.

He has been drawing very good crowds and with this being a Friday night and school back in session, he should do so again tonight.

I am excited for tomorrow. After so many days of buildup, I will be curious to see how it all plays out.

I hope to be able to post from the event tonight. We'll see.

Later.

Obama Post

2008-01-24T05:29:00.000-08:00

1.24.08 0835 ET

Yesterday was a good old fashioned TVCF (TeleVision Cluster F***). I think it resides on the foul up hierarchy somewhere in between SNAFU and FUBAR. As a result, I am just now getting a chance to check in here.

Long story short: After some behind the scenes maneuvering on my part, our network learned of the POSSIBILITY of getting on the Obama press charter AFTER South Carolina. Of course feeding management this type of information is like putting a steak in front of a rabid dog and telling it to wait. It can't and neither could they. They immediately began pressing us to get on the charter Thursday despite all my warnings that it would be next to impossible. A flurry of phone calls and emails ensued between our crew, the campaign's operations staff in Chicago and our boss in DC.
Sleep was lost. Dander was raised along with unreasonable expectations and in the end at 0557 ET we got the following email, "We are sorry to inform you that we are unable to accommodate your request to travel with Obama for America at this time."

A massive headache that could have been avoided by management listening to their folks on the ground or me keeping my mouth shut in the first place. Wish I had control over the former rather than the latter in this instance.

The speech. Pretty much his standard stump speech. Long on generalities, short on specifics. Several references to hope and change. The dovetailing themes of his campaign. Little red meat here.

Upon reflection it is interesting that his campaign is built on this subtle repudiation of the politics that the Clintons (and Bush for that matter) always seem to resort to when times are tough. While none of the people we talked with after the event came out and specifically said this, the undercurrent is there and palpable.

The attendees. Not surprisingly, given that this was rural South Carolina, the crowd was probably 95% African-American. The event had the feel of an old church revival. Gospel music took the place of some of the usual campaign staples. Some people moved and swayed to the rhythm of his voice and the timbre of his words. It is clear that the people at this event had clearly found their candidate.

This is where it really becomes interesting to me. In New Hampshire, we saw a very similar scene. Massive crowds would turn out (the Sumter, SC event was SRO with over a 1000 in attendance FYI) to see him and you could sense he was touching a nerve with people. Yet he ended up losing when all the polls said he would win going away. I see some of the same characteristics here in South Carolina and would not be surprised if the race ends up being a lot closer than the 15-20 point margin we are seeing in the polls right now.

Having written that let me now poke a few holes in it because there are some other dynamics at work here in SC that did not exist in NH.

--Sen. Edwards. The native son who won this primary four years ago is a wild card. I think his populist message will be more popular here than it was in the last two states. In fact the two most recent polls show him trending upwards with an 8 point deficit to Clinton. (Obama leads by 15.) Will any success he has come at Obama's expense (not so likely) or at Clinton's (more likely)?

--The Bubba Factor. As I mentioned earlier, there is a real affinity for the former president amongst the African-American community. Can the Clinton campaign repeat their grassroots, trench warfare win in Nevada here? Can they peel off enough black support to make this a real race. I would not bet against them though it seems like he has been stepping into some metaphorical cow pies lately with some of his comments. Most recently his attack on CNN's Jessica Yellin.

Hillary returns to the state today after a two day absence. Obama heads for the coast and so do we with multiple events in the Charleston area concluding late tonight. Will report back as time permits.

Later.

Obama Preps

2008-01-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

1000ET 1.23.08

We have arrived at the site of the Sen. Obama's event here in Sumter, SC. It is an unfortunate characteristic that the media is required to arrive 4-6 hours before the event begins. This is largely due to the fact that spots on the press riser are first come first serve but also because the Secret Service must perform a sweep. Personally, I don't mind it so much. A shooter for NFL Films once told me that he always arrived at the stadium at least four hours before kick off. He wanted to be able to walk around and soak in the atmosphere before he went to work. I feel the same way though frankly the Sumter Family Life Center lacks much of the character of venerable Lambeau Field.

We are in a gymnasium. A familiar locale for these types of things. This will be the sixth or seventh Obama event I have covered since December. This is the 3rd or 4th gym we've seen. Rubberized floor. No parquet wood here. Cinder block walls. Five small rectangular windows offer a view of the gray skies outside.

I am curious to hear how Obama has modulated his stump speech. Word has it that it began to take on more of an edge after the former President and Hillary began to pillory him in Nevada. We'll see. He never uses the partisan vitriol that is so common in politics. Instead it is usually a softer tone. More respectful disagreement than slash and burn. I think people respect that. The question is how it will play nationally on television. When packaged up within the context of a 7 second sound bite will it come across as limp wristed? I don't have a sense of that.

More to come....

Mesazoic Media Guy

2008-01-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, that description would seem to fit. At least that is how I feel every time I look at some young hot-shot sporting his five pound mini-dv hot rod while my shoulder groans under the weight of my 25 lb. Sony Leviathan. Yet I wouldn't trade my rig for that young punk's pea shooter if my life depended upon it. (Something tells me it may come to that someday.)

Those were a couple of the thoughts crossing my rather addled mind as I sat at yet another community center, this one in Greenville, SC waiting for his "Bubba-ness" to sally forth, feel our pain and tell us what a great President his wife would be.

This is Day 12 of my nearly non-stop travel to cover the 2008 Primary season. I am a television news photographer. Also known as a Camera-guy, photog, photojournalist, video bitch, packmule, pain-in-the-ass, and my favorite...button-pusher. (I think Lenslinger might be copyrighted or something :)) I have been to New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada, and now South Carolina and still have 8 days and at least one more state to go before heading home to our nation's capital. This psuedo-journal of musings, rants, and what-have-you is primarily for my enjoyment and therefore if it becomes boring well, now you know what it feels like to sit in a community center staring at the walls for three and half hours waiting for the 42nd POTUS.

So here goes. My maiden voyage. An attempt to chronicle what I have and will witness in a fashion other than 4:3 30 frames a second. Not exactly my comfort zone.

It's pushing 3:30 ET. The President is already late. The press corps jokingly calls it "Clinton-time." A nebulous zone within the space-time continuum wherein something that is scheduled to occur at a given time usually takes place AT LEAST one hour late. They jest but having pulled myself out of the rack at 0600 in Myrtle Beach, SC after not going to bed until one or so seems more akin to the Inquisition.

We departed MYR at 0715. My home for about 11 months in 1996-97. The site of Monday's CNN-Democratic Debate, MYR seemed entirely unfamilar to me. Aside from a brisk walk on the beach, it is January after all, I felt no real attachment to the first place I lived away from home. Curious feeling. The five hour trek across the Palmetto state takes longer than it should thanks to a faulty GPS that requires several thwacks and threats of anhilialation before it finally gets us back on track.

Packed to the gills with a reporter, producer, me, and about every piece of television equipment I think I can schlepp without busting the budget with excess airline baggage charges, I am frankly amazed that our trusty rental doesn't blow an axle. Shockingly we are the first to arrive. Let me digress here for a moment and explain that for an old news dog like myself, arriving first at a news event where there will be more than 12 cameras on one or two invariably cramped camera platforms is like seeing virgin powder at your favorite ski hill after a night of snow. You can't set up your tri-pod fast enough. Having secured the proverbial catbird seat you then hunker down for the big wait only to be ejected by the Secret Service while they perform their ubiquitous security sweep.

Patiently you wait for your quarry to show himself. You suffer through the insipid opening remarks of a host of people you have never heard of until finally there he is. His cotton-tail head bobbing and weaving through a sea of humanity several of who scream like they just saw the Beatles walk in the door. You set your sight and he is yours. A red tally light, loud applause, more screaming and now he takes the podium.

Say what you will about Bill Clinton. Opinions on the man run the gamut but he can connect with a crowd like few people I have ever seen. It's not his rhetoric. He has no "Ask not..." speech in his catalog. It's something more primal than intellectual. He's that country lawyer who's gonna save your farm from the evil bankers and "aw-shucks it was nuthin" you after he cleans their clock. It is political theatre at its best.

The speech is interesting if not memorable. Clinton backs away from his previous attacks on Sen. Obama. Says he is proud that either a woman or black man will be the next President. There is no doubt however where his loyalty lies. Hillary and Barack spent a good chunk of the Monday debate bashing on each other but there is none of that animus in evidence on this afternoon, just a lot of "aw-shucks" bonding and old fashioned politicking by a seasoned vet.

Tomorrow, which in two minutes will become today, we will shift gears and head to Sumter for an event with Barack Obama. Hope to have another report then.

Later.