Writers/editors, Obama campaign, Chicago

Hmmmmmmm ....

 

This would be a fucking DREAM for me.

 

I worked for a gubernatorial campaign that wound up being an upset winner at about the same age, then did work for various candidates as a political science undergrad. I had chances to move on to work in politics with people of various political stripes, but instead I decided to make a living writing about people who play games.

Good choice.

;-)

But seriously, the campaign stuff was great experience. Part of it chased me away from politics, but I've since learned that what was true in politics is true in live in general too.

 

My experience was a good one. My uncle held a moderately-high position in Clinton's campaign in California. He had a smaller job in the general election, but got invited to the inauguration. This may have been something that everybody was invited to, I don't know...

I got to meet Clinton twice, which consisted of a handshake one time and a "Thanks for everything you do, (My name)." and another handshake the next time, which was said as someone whispered my name into his ear, which I thought was funny, even though I realized that there was no way in hell he could know almost any of our names.

My situation was a little strange because by the time he got to the California primary, the nomination was pretty much in hand, or at least that's how I remember it, but Clinton wanted to beat Brown in his home state. I think Clinton won by about 8 to 10 percentage points.

If it was stressful, I didn't see it, or I was too young to realize what was going on.

The only annoying part of it was people asking me over and over again if I was doing this just so I could put it down when I applied to colleges and I had to say, "Already got into college..."

 

It seems almost pointless to apply given the pool of applicants they will get.

 

Not true at all.

 

Clinton is one of two presidents I've had personal contact with. Both of them were not because I was looking for them. I ran into candidate Clinton and his posse outside the Convention Center in New Orleans (same one where all those people would be stranded years later after Katrina). There was a Democratic Leadership Conference going on there. We made eye contact, and I had to sort of swerve out of the way of his posse. I thought it looked like "that dude from Arkansas", but I was blissfully unaware that the Democratic party was having an event in that building (I was there because my sister lived a couple of blocks away in the Warehouse District). Later on CNN, I saw him giving a speech and realized it was who I thought it was.

The funny thing about running into him there but being unaware that he would be there is this is around the time I was still dabbling in some work in politics. How did I not know that was going on? I think it was spring 1991.

Anyway, I also met W sort of randomly. I was at the 2001 CWS in Omaha in the press box. I was bickering with another writer about all the increased security because the damn president was coming to throw out the first pitch. Just as we were bickering, we noticed somebody sort of standing over us and we turned around and there was George W. Bush. How the President of the United States was able to sneak up on us without a team of secret service people making a ruckus before him I'll never know. But when we looked up at him, he said "You guys have the greatest jobs in the world." Guy next to me says, "Well, yours ain't exactly bad..."

So these things are spaced apart by 10 years, 91, 2001 and I'm due for a face-to-face with a president this year, I suppose.

 

I'm just thinking they're going to have their pick of the litter of scribes from Harvard and Yale, etc.

 

I've met four presidents, none were in office at the time. And when I say met, I mean, shook their hand and said 3-4 words to them.

I met W. at a Rangers game in 1998 or 1999. I met his father at a Super Bowl. I met Carter at a book signing and Clinton during his campaign primary.

Clinton was the most impressive of the four. I think if people met W. they would be surprised at how he takes over a room. I remember on the HBO documentary that they did during the 2000 election some reporter said how W. seems like someone you'd love to have a beer with." I think that sums it up really well.

Bush I and Carter were a lot older at the time. Bush seemed friendly. Carter seemed very out of it and this was 1996 or 1997 when his autobiography came out. To be fair, at the book signing, we were told not to speak to or touch him and everybody there was talking to him and shaking his hand.

 

I mean, I don't know your background, but I get the sense that they'll take what they can get. If you'll work for free, they'll definitely find something for you to do.

 

I have a journalism degree with a polysci minor and I've done lots of journalistic writing, but I went to a small state school and feel like I get glossed over a lot because of that. I've been doing corp comm at a giant company for the last 18 months and really want to do something else.

I'm definitely going to apply, I just don't expect to hear much.

 

If you're local, that could also be to your advantage.