Back on the air nearly an hour after I departed the press platform at the Edwards event. Can't really compare sizes with the Edwards and Obama marches. Obama was outdoors, Edwards marched through the skywalks and I was in the midst of it as we were headed the same way.
Edwards was up front with former gubernatorial candidate Ed Fallon and State Rep. Art Staed of Cedar Rapids, with internet svengali Joe Trippi a couple rows back.
Random phrases heard on the stroll:
A few wrong turns let me to see not one but two people wearing Richardson stickers handing out flyers for a Dec. 1 speech by... Dennis Kucinich? "We want everyone to be heard" says one of them, but seeing it twice makes me curious. What kind of Jedi mind tricks is Richardson trying? (Not that it means anything, but Team Richardson seems to be playing the pack the hall game the least.)
In the lobby of the balcony, the longest lines are for the concession-stand food the folks in the cheap seats are having -- the ones who didn't eat for free off Biden beforehand, anyway. Below me, the people in the fancy-schmancy seats have been served salads. I have a good spot for people watching as Mike Gronstal, Bonnie Campbell and Swati Dandekar have all wandered by. Behind me is part of Hillary's claque, practicing cheers.
At every cattle call event like these, the doors to the women's room seem to be covered with HILLARY signs. Subtle gender politics there. The walls themselves are not enough for the signs, as strings hang down from vents to hold signs mobile-style.
The intros begin with Scott Brennan and I never EVER want to hear U2's "Beautiful Day" at a rally again ever.
Tom Miller's wife gets cheer (and, maybe, boos?) for brandishing an Obama sign, but the Hillary claque behind me applauds politely. Loudest cheers for the governor and Harkin, as the expensive seats start a SIX MORE YEARS chant that the cheap seats pick up.
Pelosi walks very brisky to the stage and then Edwards arrives. Flashbulbs flying even in the expensive seats. Richardson walks on unannounced, even before the Edwards cheers die out.
Biden gets scattered applause, but looks like he bought half a section. They aren't announcing anyone now as Dodd strolls out. Some Dodd signs in the expensive seats.
Hillary's people pound on drums in anticipation... Obama O's appear just behind her as she pauses in the spotlight.
The Hillary claque instantly shuts up as Obama appears... but Team Obama fills the gap with the patented "Fired Up -- Ready To Go" which appears to be coordinated between their three sections of seats. So Obama wins the Best Cheers while Hillary wins the Noisemaker award... OUCH! A Hillary supporter two rows back has an honest to God AIR HORN which she is blowing REPEATEDLY.
Dueling chants. Anyone else remember that high school favorite, "We've got spirit, yes we do, we've got spirit, how bout you?"
Yes, Obama had hand over heart for the national anthem. Invocation includes "in Jesus' name we pray" reference.
I wish someone would start a Lite Beer chant war. TASTES GREAT! LESS FILLING!
It doesn't fit anywhere else, so here's the Dodd Dirigible.
Eveyone except team Hillary seems to sit on their hands, or at best applaud politely, when the Vilsacks are introduced.
Alternate color schemes: a lot of AFSCME green and gold HILLARY signs. The cheers from the Hillary section get louder during the Pelosi introduction right at the words "first woman."
(Note: Chase will be taking the actual speeches here; I'm the wisecracking color commentary guy. That includes music.)
Pelosi on the jumbotron. I've heard a couple scattered shouts at war references, are there protesters in the midst?
Patty Judge is taking the stage to Macy Gray (skipping the "you gotta be bad" chorus).
Hillary's cheap seat crowd. At least some of the candidates are seated together, I see Clinton and Biden. Hillary is looking extremely attentive to the lieutenant governor.
The Big Lug takes the stage to Van Halen's "Right Now" which is now close to Mellencamp-level overplay.
Wo, hold the phone, I thought Harkin and Boswell were speaking and now we're introing Edwards? Someone hit the music cue early and I think I heard the Romantics garage band classic "What I Like About You." Yep, that's it.
Team Richardson has dropped banners reading 2013? over their railing as Edwards speaks. Another banner reads getourtroopsout.com.
Main difference I see from Standard Stump is more attacks on the GOP slate of candidates than usual: "George Bush on steroids."
But even though I've seen it before -- he's NAILING the delivery.
Leaves the stage to U2 but not the usual: "Pride (In The Name Of Love)," the 1984 MLK anthem that got me through the Reagan re-elect. That's putting yourself in heady company...
As Richardson is introed, the 2013? press release from Team Bill is passed down press row.
Richardson takes the stage to "Power To The People" but not the John Lennon origial.
Richardson starts with a reference to "Restoring The American Dream" that sounds like a New Theme, but doesn't turn out to be. Leads with the war, now trying to touch all the issue bases laundry-list style. Is this the event to do that... this should be the Hit The Theme event.
"It is critically important that Democrats not tear each other down" gets big cheers and cowbell rings behind me.
Richardson leaves to remade Lennon again, the very interesting "Gimme Some Truth." 1971, and the original includes a "Tricky Dicky" reference.
Biden enters to some BTO, "Takin' Care Of Business." I'll eat the raspberry beret if he leave to "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet."
Biden's pitching himself as the grownup in the race, the serious one, the one with the gravitas. Most of this is Standard Stump but he's putting it together well. He's very good in this now-rare setting: mass audience oratory. Rising to a shout, lowering to a whisper... 100 years ago he might have worked the Chautauqua circuit with William Jennings Bryan.
Most of the Edwards seats are still filled but about half the Richardson spots are empty.
Biden leaves to TCB reprised.
De facto intermission as Leonard Boswell gets up. Someone's flight must have been been shuffled or something. We still have Dodd, Obama and Hillary... and you KNOW Tom Harkin's gonna talk.
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