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Fresh fruit and formidable deadlines
Date: Saturday, February 21, 2004
Location: New York, Minnesota, Ohio
For one day, I joined the official press corps and flew around the country with John Edwards' campaign.
I expected the day to be glamorous, and at first my expectations were not only met but exceeded. A bus drove us to a charter jet. We went through no security. Plates of fresh fruit awaited us on board. I flew on a comfortable couch.
Soon, however, I began to notice how much pressure many journalists feel. They had only 15 minutes to "file" -- write their story and email it to their editors -- from a Long Island rally. When an Edwards aide reduced their filing time at a Minnesota rally where Edwards was set to deliver yet another "Two Americas" speech, one reporter humorously quipped, "Which America is this?"
I learned that the press is not a "corps" but rather a collection of very diverse individuals. Generalizations are difficult. Some are not stressed. Some thrive on the stress. Each one deals differently with the demands of editors, competition from other news outlets and the difficulty of campaigns that are both dependent on and suspicious of the press.
I realized that my job, though less valuable, is more fun than theirs. Every day offers me the promise of a new adventure, depending on where I drive, who I meet and how long I stay.
On the other hand, a campaign's reporters see America through the windows of a passing charter bus. They are tied to a fast-paced schedule over which they have no choice: hotel-bus-event-bus-plane-event-bus-plane-bus-hotel.
The great advantage they have over me is their off-the-record schmoozing with the candidate. I had wondered for months about the sincerity of Edwards' smiling image. I found myself convinced. After 14 straight hours of campaigning, Edwards joined our section of the plane and rejuvenated a tired press corps with the humor and energy of a candidate who is both younger and more likeable than his opponent.
It is a memory that I now recall warmly as I prepare a happy return to the open road.
Next stop: Cleveland
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