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Monday, September 13, 2004

Edwards in Santa Fe

On my way to hear John Edwards speak this morning in Santa Fe, I was struck—as one often is when one has to be somewhere at 8 am and has not had near enough coffee—by a sense of doom. This mood passed quickly (and returned and passed several more times), as I began the negotiation towards Milner Plaza.
The Plaza is part of the Museum complex—quite lovely and the morning was unbelievably sunny and beautiful. Logistically, though, a nightmare. Cars on both sides of the street, with Camino Cruz Blanca SUVS barrelling down the remaining two feet of road with sun in their eyes. I was almost struck down three times. A small group of pro-Bush people lingered outside the event. It made me realize, once and for all, the difference between people who are interested in politics (like me) and the people who are involved. I can't, for even a minute, understand what would make anyone stand outside a Democratic event in Santa Fe holding Bush signs. To what end? There was one clever Republican artpiece, though—a truck with two toilets on it that said "Flush the Two Johns" and had little Edwards/Kerry figurines on the commodes.
Anyway.
The Edwards event was billed as a town hall on health care. US Rep. Tom Udall, D-NM, who was in attendence, is a big fan of "town halls," as was Gov. Bill Richardson (who introduced Edwards), when he held Udall's seat for NM's third congressional seat. The event started one and a half hours late which, in my view, is unforgiveable but, as we all know, the view of impatient journalists isn't of huge interest to anyone these days. Meanwhile, the sun was unbelievably hot, so most of the 1000 people waiting fashioned hats to shield their heads, using the morning's newspaper. Subsequently, by the time Edwards arrived, there were a sizeable number of people wearing cone-shaped newspaper hats in the audience. 'Welcome to Santa Fe! I couldn't help laugh, given that the organizers were running around so ardently trying to "control" the image of the event, and there were the attendees wearing newspapers on their heads.
As usual, I eschewed the press containment area at the event. You will never learn less than by sitting with other reporters. I sat with the woman who had gotten my ticket in the seated rows, and who was volunteering. She said her job this morning was to be a "goonie," which meant to cause a disruption if anyone had snuck in and started yelling anti-kerry things. I found this a bit hypocritical, given how outraged the Dems claimed to be when Cheney wouldn't allow any anti-Bush people into his event, but whatever, I'm not going to get off on a soapbox about political hypocrisy—I'm not braindead, after all.
Despite my growing cynicism on the political discourse in this country, the process, the candidates, the point of any of it, I will say Edwards did a good job. He comes off like what he is: an intelligent articulate Democratic senator. And God knows there could be worse persona for the VP (like a mean-spirited guy obsessed with money and power, for example). He talked a great deal about health care costs, prescription drugs, that kind of thing, took questions from the audience and, in general, the event did actually have a sliver of feeling of being more than just a rally. Although I still question the smartness of having Edwards spend the morning talking health care policy with 1,000 people who are voting for him no matter what. I suppose it might have some fundraising value, and perhaps generate some news stories, although if any of the reporters/photographers saw that toilet art thing, that will easily be a front-page photo.