The campaigns behind the scenes
From Dean Reynolds of CBS News...
After most of the previous 12 months covering Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency, it was interesting, instructive and, well, relaxing to follow John McCain for the last few days. The differences between the two are striking....
The national [Obama] headquarters in Chicago airily dismisses complaints from journalists wondering why a schedule cannot be printed up or at least e-mailed in time to make coverage plans. Nor is there much sympathy for those of us who report for a newscast that airs in the early evening hours. Our shows place a premium on live reporting from the scene of campaign events. But this campaign can often be found in the air and flying around at the time the "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" is broadcast....
The McCain folks are more helpful and generally friendly. The schedules are printed on actual books you can hold in your hand, read, and then plan accordingly. The press aides are more knowledgeable and useful to us in the news media. The events are designed with a better eye, and for the simple needs of the press corps. When he is available, John McCain is friendly and loquacious. Obama holds news conferences, but seldom banters with the reporters who've been following him for thousands of miles around the country. Go figure.
The McCain campaign plane is better than Obama's, which is cramped, uncomfortable and smells terrible most of the time. Somehow the McCain folks manage to keep their charter clean, even where the press is seated.
The other day in Albuquerque, N.M., the reporters were given almost no time to file their reports after McCain spoke. It was an important, aggressive speech, lambasting Obama's past associations. When we asked for more time to write up his remarks and prepare our reports, the campaign readily agreed to it. They understood.
Similar requests are often denied or ignored by the Obama campaign aides, apparently terrified that the candidate may have to wait 20 minutes to allow reporters to chronicle what he's just said. It's made all the more maddening when we are rushed to our buses only to sit and wait for 30 minutes or more because nobody seems to know when Obama is actually on the move.
Of course since the MSM worship Obama, he knows he doesn't have to try at all. McCain on the other hand has to more or less wait on them hand and foot to keep their disdain at the level of mild loathing.
But, such reporting, as frank and rare as it may be, does give a glimpse of the organizational and leadership abilities in the two candidates. Such a stark contrast has been seen before, and like then, will more or less be ignored since it doesn't server the purpose of those whose jobs are supposed to be about reporting the truth.
Hats off to Dean Reynolds for breaking free from the moratorium on truth, and letting us see at least this shred of reality amidst the smoke and mirrors that is laughingly called "reporting".
Posted by Danny Carlton at October 9, 2008 6:39 AM