10,000 miles, 358 interviews
Originally published in the News Observer
10,000 miles, 358 interviews
Duke senior tells highs, lows of following Democratic candidates
Justin Walker, the Duke University senior who logged thousands of miles on the campaign trail to cover Democratic candidates, has returned to Durham now. But Walker has offered up his "Best and Worst of the Campaign Trail." To read his entire reports, go here
NUMBER OF CAMPAIGN EVENTS: 57.
NUMBER OF CAMPAIGN EVENTS TO START LATE: 55.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE INTERVIEWED: 358.
FAVORITE STATE: Iowa.
COLDEST STATE: New Hampshire.
IN-CAR SNACK OF CHOICE: Raw pasta.
DRIVE-THROUGH RESTAURANT OF CHOICE: Steak 'N Shake.
TYPICAL FOOD SCHEDULE: 1) Skip breakfast, not hungry; 2) skip lunch, no time; 3) fast-food dinner, 10 p.m.
TRAVEL DEVICES THAT IN SOME WAY BROKE OR WERE REPLACED: Cell phone, fuzz buster, GPS, Blackberry, watch, laptop's Internet, camera's flash, car's brakes.
FAVORITE RANDOM TOURIST STOP: Appomattox Court House, between Clark and Kerry rallies.
WORST RANDOM TOURIST STOP: The National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, which my friend Tyler and I toured after an Edwards rally there. (FYI: Czech and Slovak history, not pleasant! Too many tsars and Führers.)
WORST QUESTION I'VE ASKED A CANDIDATE: "Senator Lieberman, can you feel the 'Joe-mentum?" (He could.)
MOST REPEATED ACRONYM USED BY VOTERS I INTERVIEW: "ABB!" (The Valley-Girl-sounding acronym stands for Anybody But Bush, as popularized by DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe's "ABB" button.)
MOST REPEATED CAMPAIGN SONG: John Cougar Mellencamp's ["Your Life is Now."] (Edwards gives the same speech at every rally and plays the same song. Members of his press corps claim they can recite the speech verbatim. They can also sing a mean Mellencamp.)
BEST ENDORSEMENT: Jim Rassmann's endorsement of John Kerry. Kerry saved Rassmann's life in Vietnam.
WORST ENDORSEMENT: Michael Bolton's endorsement of Dick Gephardt, who waits awkwardly offstage during a rousing rendition of "Go the Distance" from Disney's "Hercules."
MOST BANAL NAME FOR A CAMPAIGN BUS: The Real Deal Express (John Kerry).
MOST SANCTIMONIOUS NAME FOR A CAMPAIGN BUS: Independence, Integrity (Joe Lieberman).
MY FAVORITE CANDIDATE: Dennis Kucinich, for his compassion and his sincerity.
MY FAVORITE CAMPAIGN STAFF: Dennis Kucinich's, whose staffers offer me hugs, not handshakes.
MY FAVORITE "THE CANDIDATE IS LATE" STALLING TACTIC: Open-mike night with peace-song-singing Kucinich supporters at a bingo hall in Davenport, Iowa.
MY FAVORITE CAMPAIGN MOMENT: Walking to the polls with John Kerry.
MY BIGGEST SUCCESS AFTER 10,000 MILES: Zero speeding tickets.
MY BIGGEST MISTAKE AFTER 10,000 MILES: I close an Elizabeth Edwards interview with, "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Kerry."
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