OTR

Early morning departure from Lansing, MI (left) and passionate crowd in Abington, PA

Friday
Oct. 3
Lansing, MI to Philadelphia to Chicago

OTR is our term for the day. It stands for "off the record" stop, really meaning not a scheduled event. (such as a big rally) So when you see the candidate at a diner, ice cream shop, Fred’s barber, that's the unscheduled stop that is really fairly scripted.. Usually set up by the campaign only a few hours ahead, mainly to keep the crowds of onlookers down, which usually never happens. And the media crowd small, which never happens. Though only the pool is allowed from traveling press. More on that later.

Early start today, 6:15am was when we had to be in the Lansing hotel lobby with luggage. We finally loaded the buses, then waited until almost 8:00 am to leave to the airport. Flew into Philadelphia, then motorcaded to Abington High School in Abington, PA. Campaign arraigned for nice row of American flags along walkway where the Senator will walk to the stage, we in the pool dutifully photographed scene. Not giant crowd, but 6,000 by their count, on a breezy Friday morning. Lots of near hysterical people in the crowd as they saw the candidate. Very passionate and emotional crowd, one woman hugged him and broke into tears, overcome with emotion. Saw 2 photog friends from NY who had driven out for the event.

Today's OTR was at Penny’s Flowers in Glenside, PA, about 20 min from the high school. It’s Barack and Michelle's 16th anniversary so the husband candidate goes to buy flowers. $47.70 worth of 12 white roses, nicely arranged, paid with his Chase card. Local media gathered at shop and we all pile in behind the front counter, avoiding the delicate flower displays. Obama comes in to greet the proprietors and is shown roses in the refrigerated case. He walks through the shop to greet employees, which seem to number about 20 for this tiny shop. A pool reporter asks his reaction to House vote on bailout, he said this wasn't to be a planned news conference but dives into the subject anyway. By then, flowers are ready and he smells them, then pays. We run out the front door to get him departing, then he walks across street to shake hands with the growing crowd. Lots of chaos as secret service and police try to keep back swarm of tv cameramen and photographers from the more or less hysterical crowd. He finally finishes, Katie the campaign aide yells for the pool to get on the bus and we run to find it.

On the road to the airport in Philadelphia, we think for a 45 minute ride, enough time to edit and send the zillion photos we just took.

5 minutes later Katie yells, "OTR, WE'RE STOPPING!!!" I throw the computer aside and grab my cameras and run out the bus. I realize one camera doesn't have a compact flash card in it (can't take pictures without it)- I find one in my pocket and put it in as we run. Obama has found elementary school students neatly arranged on a stone fence and sidewalk, they are now screeching with delight as he dives into the crowd to shake hands. Total chaos as the pool is not quite prepared and we make desperate lunges towards the agents to get photos. I manage to get between 2 people and get 1 nice shot of the scene with a smiling candidate.

Then run back to the bus since the motorcade leaves with or without you.
Exhausted we get back on the computers to send the flower shop and hysterical voters and hysterical non-voting kids.
At the airport we get more photos of him talking with people and then getting on the plane. I manage to load these pics into my computer and send the last as we taxi to the runway.

Chicago—We are put up at the Fairmont Hotel, which looks quite fancy. Looks like the pool call time is 6:00am tomorrow morning. But there is a media party thrown by the campaign tonight at a local bar.

Early morning departure from Lansing airport, that’s my shadow 2nd from right.