2000
Candidate Insider
Weblog
October 03, 2003
The Debate
Well, it's been just over a week,
but a few words about the debate.
I was quite energized for the event,
not only because of its importance
in this recall race,
but because it was at that
CSUS campus that I established
a student organization 21 years (1982) ago
and wrote newsletters inviting dialogue
on cutting edge issues.
I describe those newsletters as the
script for the Rush Limbaugh program
because Rush came to town
two years later (1984) to begin
his radio career, and the tone
and most of the content of his
dialogue has followed my newsletters
like a script. Also, since I was
quite cutting edge and made
an earthquake-like impact
in the Sacramento area, I believe
it may literally be the script,
read by Rush himself,
or his Sacramento circle.
They may have even borrowed
the "Attila the Hun" metaphor
from me.
OK, back to The Debate last week:
I had been increasingly getting
in the spirit of things. Politics
can be quite an adrenaline booster.
A few weeks ago, on the Friday
that was the last day of the
legislative session, I was
at 11th and L st. at the Capitol
collecting nomination signatures,
and then the day before the debate
I was downtown handing out my cards
to people at the media transmission
vehicles.
I had been invited by Arnold's people
to watch the debate with Arnold supporters
at Cal Expo, so I spent the evening
before the debate constructing
banners for my camper displaying
my website and my support for Arnold.
I decided to spend the day at
the debate site, CSUS, and then
head to Cal Expo 15 minutes
before the debate.
This politics business is more like
being a performer or an athlete
than it is like a 9 to 5 job.
I spent a lot of time resting,
reading, listening, planning,
nursing my health and energy.
Then, on a big day like debate day,
I give it my all.
I headed to the debate site
around 11 or noon, listening to the
radio and concerned that maybe
I should have spent the night there
to get a good parking spot.
I was planning to put up my banners
there for media exposure.
As it turned out, I was able to park
quite close to the debate building,
but all the media trucks were
in their own area, where I couldn't
park anyway. So I put the banners
up a few days later.
It was hot and sunny and I spent
the next 4 or 5 hours on the sidewalk
adjacent to the grass where the media
were located. At first, I walked
onto the grass (there were no signs
or tape), and was rudely treated
by a bossy little thing associated
with the university or the media.
I'm guessing the university, because
of her lack of class. Also, I think
the university knew I was coming,
and did their darndest to keep
the media away from me.
Two anecdotes to support that
theory:
As I sat with another
candidate on the little wall,
which was about a foot or two high,
by the sidewalk and grass, someone
sat next to me for a long time.
At first I left her alone, not
knowing the rules of engagement,
and not wanting to bother and
distract media people, making
me unwelcome. But after she
sat next to me for a long time,
apparently not busy, I started
a chat, and found out that she
was the "Chancellor's assistant".
My quarrel was with the corrupt
CSUS administration of 21 years ago,
not with the CSU Chancellor of today,
so I told her my story, and
she coldly argued that I should
drive a truck. I thought that
was unreasonable, odd, rude, and
uncalled for.
The next anecdote is that as
I was passing out cards,
a Sacramento channel 10 news
reporter took my card and said
that it was interesting and
she'd be right back with the
cameraman for an interview.
A few moments later, she passed
by and was very dismissive.
Apparently, someone changed
her mind.
This all fits in with a pattern
of hostility and blacklisting
by public education for the
past two decades and is the
very story I'm trying to tell.
Well, I persisted. It was hot
and my lips and tongue were
dry, but it was fun. There were
a few other candidates and lots
of media people and some students,
so I just did what I came there to do.
I passed out a lot of cards with
my website address, and that's
a good thing.
I got one interview with a nice
radio reporter from KGO San Francisco.
Let me tell you, for a novice
it's quite an adrenaline rush
to interview. The brain goes
into overdrive as you are well aware
you have only a few seconds to
get your main story out, knowing
that any mistakes could be
exploited to make you look bad
or for their amusement. I spoke
to him several minutes after the
interview and he said he had just
been on the air and had treated
me well. So, if I did get air
time, I don't know what I said,
but at least I was starting to play
this new game.
Besides the KGO reporter and
the channel 10 reporter, I saw
Dan Weintraub, the opinion columnist
for the Sacramento Bee, and
Garrett Gruener, the "Ask Jeeves"
founder, who's also a candidate,
trying, like me, to crash the debate
in some way or another.
There were a few other candidates,
like Sacramento's Padilla, whose
cute little boy must have handed me
10 campaign buttons. I accepted each
in return for a promise that he'd vote
for me again. So, I have ten or so
votes wrapped up from him. The college
girl candidate from Berkeley was there.
I asked her what her plans are if,
by some chance, she didn't get elected
governor, and she said she had
to finish school.
All in all, it was a good experience.
I put a lot of work into this website,
and getting people, especially media
and political people, to look at it
is important.
But, besides that, the interaction
with media and pols at this high-level,
high-stakes event, gave me a sense
of the importance and high level
of professionalism surrounding the event.
The same goes for the debate viewing
at Cal Expo.
I was involved in this kind of stuff
in Sacramento as a volunteer during
the Victory '88 campaign for Bush.
I met Governor Deukmejian and
Governor Wilson, then a U.S. Senator.
So I was not surprised to find
a full-fledged, professionally
prepared event, especially having
come from the debate site itself,
but, again, my appreciation for
the powers and professionalism
involved was heightened.
It sort of felt like being at home.
I suppose I may have felt like
swaggering a bit, being, ahem,
a candidate myself, returning from
the rough and tumble debate arena
myself, and feeling like an old
vet from my Victory '88 days.
But I was also humble
because of my lack of financial
and career success, and my awareness
that around me were some very
smart, successful, rich, and
powerful people.
They had a big 20' by 20' screen,
but the acoustics made it hard
to understand everything,
especially Arianna's whine!
I felt Arnold did quite well,
but I imagine it must have been
stressful.
These events are for supporting
and "pumping up" our favorite
candidate, and that's what we did.
First, they had a rousing speaker
introduce Vlade Divac, and then
Dennis Miller.
Finally, after a long wait,
Arnold and Maria arrived,
and I was impressed by their
charisma and warmth, by their
stage presence, by his speaking
ability, and by her support
of him, by his side.
It was all very pleasant,
being with the home team.
As far as the debate goes,
I think Arianna showed her
colors. They clamored for
an open free-for-all, and then
she complained that he was not
"polite". If he had treated
her politely, rather than
as an opposing candidate, she
would have called him patronizing.
She muttered under her breath
something about the "Arianna Show",
and that tells us what her goals
really are. I thought Arnold
handled it quite well under the
circumstances, dismissing her
with a witty remark. He is
intelligent and quick-witted.
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