Let Me See Your War Face: A Note From The Demilitarized Zone
Posted on October 7, 2008 at 9:26 amWhat a difference a day makes. Yesterday, when I made the trek to the media tent here at Belmont University, the site of the second Presidential Debate, it was a relatively smooth process. Of course, I had to park at Greer stadium and be shuttled onto the fenced off-campus but the shuttle bus made the two to three block journey, rolled right on in and dropped us off exactly at the media tent.
Today, a little different. Only a short distance into the campus, we were met with a barricade manned with numerous secret service personnel and cops. After proceeding through the barricade we were met with another group of law enforcement personnel a few yards down the road. The bus stopped and what I can only assume was a bomb sniffing dog made a full sweep of the bus.
The shuttle then moved a few more feet down the road and dropped us off. This was quite a few yards away from the place the bus dropped us off yesterday. Upon disembarking, passengers were then shuffled through an area strongly reminiscent of a airport checkpoint.
The only difference: I got to keep my shoes on. Other than that. IDs were checked. Metal objects were removed from pockets. Bags were x-rayed. Although, I must say, security personnel were ever so nice. The Secret Service agent who checked my ID laughed at the picture embossed on my credential just as if we were old friends.
After that whole process, and only after that process, were passengers allowed to proceed to the media tent where I am right now.
Scenes From The Hall
Posted on September 28, 2008 at 4:52 pmThe Sage of Cordova gives us an inside look from the goings on in Oxford during the first Presidential debate:
On Thursday, when two Ole Miss students had stood at the same lecterns as McCain and Obama would an evening later, running through a simulated debate for such purposes as a sound-check and lighting-check, their improvised lines seemed both crisper and more original.
When the two students arrived on stage, incidentally, their exchange of handshakes and pleasantries (”Have a nice trip down? Good”) would make a pointed contrast to that which took place a day later between the two presidential candidates. Obama mouthed similar amenities, but McCain barely nodded as the two contenders touched gloves.
MORE: At Newscoma’s house.
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Memphis Ranks Two In Percentage Of Debate Watchers
Posted on September 27, 2008 at 6:54 pmNashville was in the top five. Braisted has the numbers:
In the city rankings, Nashville had the 5th highest percentage of viewers (44%), and Memphis had the second highest (49.5%). St. Louis was at the top of the heap with about half of households watching.
Neighborhood Watch
Posted on July 29, 2008 at 6:59 amColby Sledge reports that limited seating for the Presidential Debate at Belmont University in October has resulted in a plethora of planning for off-site watch parties:
Even Belmont is setting up an invitation-only viewing party elsewhere — the historic Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Members of the honorary host committee, including Gov. Phil Bredesen, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and former Vice President Al Gore, will be invited, along with Belmont trustees, event donors and students from Belmont and other area universities.
“We would love for everyone in Tennessee to be at a viewing party on October 7,” said Pamela Johnson, Belmont’s debate planning director. “The message we would like to send to the commission and the nation is that we are turned out and engaged in the presidential election.”
It isn’t known how many tickets will be issued for people to sit inside the Curb Event Center but not ask questions.
One of the members of the host committee will be throwing his own event for Democratic supporters. Congressman Jim Cooper reserved the Belcourt Theatre in Hillsboro Village in March, although his office has not made final plans for the soiree.
The Nashville Democrat has endorsed Barack Obama, his party’s presumptive nominee, and the event will reflect it, said Lisa Quigley, Rep. Cooper’s chief of staff.
“If you wanted to be with more partisan Obama supporters, we’re going to create an environment for that,” Quigley said
David McCullough And Ken Burns To Speak At Belmont
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 7:09 amColby Sledge reports that the upcoming Presidential Debate at Belmont University has attracted some ancillary events:
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and historian David McCullough will headline a bevy of political events on campus programmed around the presidential town hall debate the school will host Oct. 7.
Burns, producer of World War II documentary The War, is scheduled to speak on Sept. 30 and hold a question-and-answer session for students the following day.
McCullough, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for biographies of past presidents John Adams and Harry S. Truman, will discuss the new presidency on March 19, 2009, two months after Inauguration Day.
Both the Burns and McCullough speeches will be open to the public.
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