Real Time Experience at the Philadelphia Debate

“Clinton vs. Obama: The Democratic Debate.” That was what my press credentials read last Wednesday night; that’s right- my very own press credentials! As the April 16 Democratic debate loomed, I expected to watch it in much the same way that I’d watched all of the other Democratic debates, Republican debates, primary returns, and everything in between during this marathon 2008 presidential election campaign: curled up on my bed in my tiny hole of a room on Austin’s stifling third floor. I was more than a little excited at the prospect of the much-hyped debate being held in nearby Philadelphia, and in honor of the occasion I even considered leaving my hobbit hole to watch the debate with other like-minded friends. Little did I know, however, that I would have the opportunity to actually attend Wednesday night’s live debate. It happened in a flash; one minute I was applying for debate press credentials (convinced that I’d be refused on the grounds that our humble Villanova Times didn’t constitute a legitimate newspaper), and the next I was emailing my Social Security Number to the ABC organizers in order to allow the Secret Service to grant me access to the Constitution Center (I’m still not convinced that I wasn’t the victim of identity theft at the hands of ABC News that night). Needless to say, last Wednesday at 6:17 I was officially en route from Villanova to Philadelphia. Upon arriving at the Constitution Center a short while later, Times editor Matt and I were met outside the venue by an exuberant crowd filled with Clinton supporters, Obama supporters, and even a respectable smattering of proud Paulies (the loyal legion of Ron Paul supporters). While wading through the enthusiastic crowd three times over until successfully breaching the Constitution Center’s press entrance, one thing became clear: both the Clinton and Obama supporters were expecting strong showings from their respective candidates. Their excitement was contagious, and with our crowd navigation complete, we then proceeded into the press filing room.

To get an idea of the filing room, picture this: a huge Bartley room with seemingly endless rows of long tables, all of which were littered with papers, abandoned laptops, and dinner remnants (did I mention there was free food?). In addition, there were monitors lining the walls that would simultaneously broadcast feed from the debate that was occurring in the hall just a few hundred feet from us. There was an obvious social hierarchy within the filing room, and despite the fact that we were relegated to the front of the room (totally oblivious to the hustle and bustle that went on behind us), I could barely contain my excitement at having successfully infiltrated the Democratic debate. My joy faded somewhat as the temperature slipped to what felt like a crisp thirty degrees (I wasn’t fazed- I knew they were just trying to keep us on our toes), but I took it like a champ and settled in with my Villanova issued laptop to enjoy the bloodbath. The only thing that could have enhanced my filing room experience would have been if the candidates were faced with tough questions about recent campaign gaffes that occurred since the last debate, and alas- I was soon rewarded as Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos stepped up to the plate and pressed the candidates for real answers. But the fun was far from over. For not only did my press pass grant me access to the filing room, but also to what I would soon discover was the best place a political junkie could ever hope to go: the coveted spin room.

The spin room, quite literally, had me spinning. When we first entered the spin room (read: the best place on earth), I was taken aback by how small it was and by the low key atmosphere within it. This quickly changed as the broadcast media charged in, however, and all of a sudden I found myself engaged in a fast, silent, and furious war of wills with a determinedly pushy cameraman. Having lost the battle and been shafted to the side, I did my best to gather my dignity and listened with interest to the spinner closest to me. He was one of Clinton’s spin boys- that much was made clear by the “Senator Clinton” sign held above him- and he was relaxed and patient as he answered the rapid-fire questions that were hurled his way. Powerfully soft-spoken and admirably succinct, he discarded questions quickly yet positively as he spun for Hillary- and as a satisfied reporter asked him to spell his name before turning away to descend upon another unsuspecting spinner, I was startled to hear him spell, “G-A-R-I-N.” Garin? As in Geoff Garin? The guy that I’d been reading about on a daily basis as I trawled through the political blogosphere for my regular campaign updates? It was only at that moment that it finally dawned on me: this was the big time.

Now thoroughly engrossed (and thoroughly unaware of what I was doing), I seized upon a rare lull in the dialogue and sprung a question that I’d been wondering about. As he answered, I was unable to stop the spread of a wide smile across my face; at this point, I didn’t care that I was giving myself away as that stereotypical “new kid”- this was just too cool! After his answer, I realized that I could counter with a follow-up question… and after that, there was no stopping me. As we moved about the room, I was amazed at the people that I saw; in addition to Garin, we soon recognized Howard Wolfson, David Axelrod, Wesley Clark, Duncan Nutter, and Patrick Murphy among others. These were all players spinning for either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama, and they were all people that I was allowed to speak to and ask questions of (which I first shyly, then more comfortably, did). For the first time, it was there in that awesome spin room that everything I had been reading about, learning about, and absorbing came alive to me. It was almost unfathomable that these powerful people who were so abstract just hours before now were suddenly mere feet from me. It was, undoubtedly, one of the best experiences of my life. As I stood there and soaked up all that was happening around me, I found myself in a surreal state of serendipity. For it was there that I could most potently (and perhaps most ironically) detect a genuine desire to better America. Yes; Clinton’s people worked busily to enhance her public image and views, just as Obama’s people did the same for him. But in that room, the aura of commitment to a common cause of betterment was undeniable. It gave me hope yet for this 2008 election- and for that, I am eternally grateful.