Note: I’ll be updating this throughout the debate in my Daily Kos cross post, and please also check out ePluribus Media for their take on this as well.
Thanks to the most awesome folks at ePluribus Media, I was able to get a press pass to the republican debate at Morgan State University in Baltimore, and I am here now, having just unpacked and set up shop.
And so you don’t have to subject yourself to ear splitting blabbing and the urge to (1) throw something at the TV (2) throw the TV out the window or (3) throw yourself out the window, I’ll take one for the team and give you the play by play as things happen.
As I wrote in the intro, I’ll update this throughout, and hopefully I can get some interviews (but that will be tough since the media is in a separate building from the actual debate itself). Anyway, I say “debate” because Giuliani, Thompson, Romney and McCain have all bailed on this – just another smack in the face of the African American (or anyone other than white male) community.
On the flip side, it will be interesting to see Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback, Duncan Hunter, Alan Keyes, Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee try to out-bigot each other in front of an audience that will no doubt not be chock full of old white males.
Some observations so far – for starters, there were a LOT of Ron Paul signs on the way down here, on I-95 in Philly as well as all over the main road leading to Morgan State University. Interesting, especially since the very conservative Ed Morrisey (Captain’s Quarters and Blog Talk Radio’s Heading Right) can’t seem to understand (as many conservatives can’t either) what the infatuation is with Ron Paul. But that is for another day, I guess….
Interestingly, there was no problem getting in, or through security as all I needed to do was give my name (not the letter, photo ID and other information that I was told that I would have to provide), and here I am – in “Spin Alley” with my computer, digital voice recorder (just in case) and am in front of 2 very large screen TVs that will broadcast the debate.
So far, the press room is pretty empty, but I would expect more people to file in over the next 20 minutes or so, and if I have any juicy “pre game” reports, I’ll update it as well. While it would be great to hear questions that will make these candidates eat their prior words and squirm, I am not holding out much hope. Frankly, it was the fact that (1) the debate was here at Morgan State and (2) the nuttiest of the wingnuts are debating that I most wanted to come here. Oh yeah, the fact that this is really good experience and the potential for networking doesn’t hurt either.
I’ll leave you now with a short preview/blurb from the opening remarks by Tavis Smiley:
We are here tonight because of the Covenant with Black America. A book that details the most pressing issues of concern to Black America and what everyday people can do to create change.
Princeton Professor Cornel West offers us in The covenant, a powerful formulation on leadership: “You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people. And you can’t save the people if you don’t serve the people. And so tonight, we ask of these Republican candidates, what’s the dept of your love for everyday people and what will be the quality of your service to them?
—snip—
Finally, some of the campaigns who declined our invitation to join us tonight have suggested publicly that this audience would be hostile and unreceptive. Since we’re live on PBS right now, I can’t tell you what I really think of these kinds of comments.
Bravo, Mr. Smiley. Bravo. If the four frontrunners can’t even face what they perceive to be a hostile and unreceptive audience for a primary debate, how can they be expected to lead this country in such a dangerous and important time in history?
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Update [2007-9-27 20:55:54 by clammyc]:: So as I now have a chance to look around at what other media is here, I see that there are places for Real Clear Politics and NewsBusters right in front of me – two organizations that are oh-so-level headed (especially NewsBusters). This should be real interesting when they start to file in….I also heard that the food was good, but it is pretty much all gone now, except for dessert. The dessert is pie. Lots of apple pie, of course (and lots of little American flags too). I took a piece of blueberry pie, because I am un-American…
Update [2007-9-27 20:55:54 by clammyc]:: Just got a one pager from one of Duncan Hunter’s “people”. He plans on emphasizing “opportunity for all Americans” tonight. I guess he got an advance copy of the opening remarks as well…here is an excerpt (go ahead, oppo researchers!!):
We must continue working together to ensure that everyone in our society, regardless of race or color, has a voice and the ability to be heard. It is through our diversity and willingness to find common ground that we can create responsible policies that will make America a better place for everyone.
—snip—
Working Americans represent the promise of the Republican Party and I believe the effort to reinvigorate American’s workforce starts with bringing back high paying manufacturing jobs”
OK, so how many times has Hunter voted AGAINST this?
