April 26, 2007
Build These Crowds
About a quarter mile from the Martlin Luther King theatre and temporary presidential debate studio site, MSNBC's Hardball erected a massive outdoor soundstage. The piazza in the background has become a gathering place for supporters of the candidates. These crowds are "built," in the argot of campaign science.
How?
1. Have the "it" candidate. Sen. Barack Obama's South Carolina staff has spent the last week corralling Obama supporters at nearby campuses. And -- how to say this -- South Carolina State University at Orangeburg is a majority African American campus. So it probably was not a huge challenge to turn out Obama supporters.
2. Pay them. The rumour du jour is that Hillary Clinton's campaign, or some consultant affiliated with the campaign, paid students at nearby Clafin College to come hold large "Clinton Country" signs. One Clinton sign-holder did indeed volunteer to us that she was being paid, but she wouldn't say by whom. A Clinton spokesman denies that the campaign has paid anyone to attend.
3. Bus them in. John Edwards did a bit of that, we're told. (Busing in, not paying). Edwards allies seemed to have arrived late. We caught Edwards's director of advance -- he's the guy with the telephone to his ear in the picture below -- telling the other end of the line that "We need more signs!". Indeed: Chris Matthews's first guest was Elizabeth Edwards. About two dozen Edwards supporters materialized a few minutes later, but they were too late: the only room for them was on the fringes of the piazza.
Posted at 05:00 PM
Comments
No wonder Edwards' guys were late - his Director of Advance is holding a phone to his ear. What is this, 2003? Where's his Bluetooth earpiece?
Eric J | 04.27.07 09:21 AM
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When you say "the guy with the telephone to his ear in the picture" you mean the guy who is wearing the two sizes too big blue blazer with the too long black pants and looks hot and miserable? That guy? He looks like he could use a haircut, even a $14 dollar one. If you really want to get a crowd there is the sure fire way, serve beer!
How to Tie a Tie Video | 04.27.07 12:36 PM
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