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John McCain in Sacramento
At the bottom of page A6 in the Sacramento Bee on Wednesday, February
22nd, there was a short article about McCain's scheduled 8am visit to
Sacramento the following day on the campus of California Sate University,
Sacramento. Something clicked in my mind and I decided to cover it.
I got on-line, and found the number to McCain's California headquarters.
The woman answering the phone there give me the number of McCain's media
liaison in Sacramento, and I made him aware of my intention to cover McCain's
"town hall meeting" in CSUS' University Union Ballroom the following
morning. I told him initially I would be shooting for the California Aggie,
our student newspaper at U.C. Davis. That would soon change.
Already on my bike heading to class, I got the idea to call Tim Aubry
at Reuters News Service in Washington D.C., who I have been bugging to
cover Kings games in Sacramento, and ask him if Reuters wants coverage.
A U-turn back to the house and a quick phone call had me covering Republican
Presidential Candidate John McCain, fresh off two primary victories, in
Sacramento for Reuters.
The alarm goes off at 6:30am on Thursday, and I am on the road by 7:00
with a bagel and orange juice. By 7:50 I am on the riser, waiting for
McCain's entrance into the ballroom with thirty to forty other photographers,
both still and television. I've never covered an event like this before.
Professional sports is as close as I've come to seeing this many photographers
in one room. It was intimidating. Additionally, I was nervous because
this was my first assignment for Reuters. Inevitably, McCain was late
and entered the ballroom at about 8:20.
| Just moments before he entered an aid informed us on
the riser that McCain would be entering right behind us. Sure enough,
we all turned around and out he came from the side door. That was
the last time I was on the riser. All the still photographers on the
riser and a few TV guys abandoned it for the floor to get images of
McCain shaking hands and working the crowd en route to the stage.
I remember leaping from the riser over a row of chairs because it
was the only place to go. On pure instinct and adrenaline I photographed
the senator as he made his way to the stage. |
Republican Presidential candidate John McCain enters a town hall
meeting at California State University, Sacramento's University
Union Ballroom on Thursday, February 24th, 2000 in Sacramento, Calif.
(Photo by Joe Jaszewski/Reuters)
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Once he started talking I worked the room, first getting the "safe"
tight pictures of him speaking and then shooting some crowd pictures.
The town-hall style meeting ended in about an hour and half just as it
started, with a horde of photographers swarming McCain along with those
wanting to shake hands with and get the senator's autograph. One thing
I really enjoyed while covering the meeting was the access that was afforded
to photographers. McCain is known for being accessible to the news media,
and that was certainly the case in Sacramento. We could literally be anywhere
in the room without getting hassled by McCain's people; it was a refreshing
circumstance
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Republican
Presidential candidate John McCain shakes the hand of Keenan Flynn
of Sacramento during a town-hall meeting at California State University,
Sacramento's University Union Ballroom on Thursday, February 24th,
2000 in Sacramento, Calif. (Photo by Joe Jaszewski/Reuters)
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Eric
Koszyk, a California State University, Sacramento student, protests
against Republican Presidential candidate John McCain's usage of
the term 'gook' in reference to Vietnamese peoples. McCain held
at a town hall meeting at California State University, Sacramento's
University Union Ballroom on Thursday, February 24th, 2000 in Sacramento,
Calif. (Photo by Joe Jaszewski/Reuters)
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Presidential
candidate John McCain signs autographs at a town hall meeting at
California State University, Sacramento's University Union Ballroom
on Thursday, February 24th, 2000 in Sacramento, Calif. (Joe Jaszewski/Reuters)
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(left-right)
Betsy Morrison of Carmichael, CA, Paulette Conway of Fair Oaks,
CA, and Claire D'Orso of Roseville, CA cheer for Republican Presidential
Candidate John McCain during a town hall meeting at California State
University, Sacramento's University Union Ballroom on Thursday,
February 24th, 2000 in Sacramento, Calif. (Photo by Joe Jaszewski/Reuters)
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Republican
Presidential candidate John McCain speaks to supporters at a town
hall meeting at California State University, Sacramento's University
Union Ballroom on Thursday, February 24th, 2000 in Sacramento, Calif.
(Photo by Joe Jaszewsi/Reuters)
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Republican
Presidential candidate John McCain speaks to supporters at a town
hall meeting at California State University, Sacramento's University
Union Ballroom on Thursday, February 24th, 2000 in Sacramento, Calif.
(Photo by Joe Jaszewski/Reuters)
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