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Ok, so I'm writing this on my blackberry as I'm rushing to the airport. Holy crap, we pulled it off! And you know what, for what is often a stuffy politician boys' club, most of the audience in New Hampshire were girls and I was glad I was representing. I felt really proud today, of our team, the students and everyone who participated online. I had heard rumors last night that students weren't allowed in the room at Dartmouth to participate in the Democratic debates....and that's infuriating, and if it's true, I hoped we proved how fatal that mistake can be for any campaign.
I don't usually get nervous, maybe because P. Diddy and Britney Spears don't seem as serious as the potential next PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I bold that because that was screaming in my head the whole time. And you know, to be honest, I feel like a lot of the press and the other half of America don't believe young people, MTV and politics should mix, so there's always that added pressure that someone expects you to fail.
I was hoping to meet the senator before we started, but he was 20 minutes late and he got to the campus and walked right on stage. I have to say, again *geek* warning, it was kinda like "dude, that guy is famous." He felt more like a rock star to me than some of the real rock stars. I could tell, because he was rushing to get to our forum, he didn't know what to expect and looked kind of surprised and nervous once he saw the crowd, the lights and the set. I think he thought he was going to walk into a little conference room with some snacks and a couple of poli-sci students.
The real stars were the people online, though. They added an element of surprise and a "real" factor. We weren't sure how the polling thing was gonna work, but even Edwards wanted to see how viewers online were responding to his answers as he was answering!!!! After shaking his hand at the end of the show (he's got a strong grip) I asked him what he thought of it all and he said "this was one of the most real conversations I've had."
On that note, I thought he was weak on his points about Iraq and Darfur, but strong on education and healthcare. Best line: he was going to have Congress give up their own health care if they didn’t pass a resolution for the rest of us. (That is, if he becomes president.) But the most poignant moment, and for me the one that makes it worthwhile is when I sit next to a student, like Josh, who is legally blind and asks what this fancy politician is going to do to help him find a cure for his degenerative ocular disease. That’s what it’s about to me.
On my way home! Xoxo
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