Politics: Election 2008

7:49 p.m. - Hey kids, it’s Liz again.

I’m alone here in the press room (and by alone, I mean without Matt and Jim, but with about 100 other journalists). My counterparts in crime are currently downstairs, so Matt can smoke and Jim can get some updated shots of the crowds outside.

The room is really starting to fill up - a strange mixture of suits and jeans, as if you’re attending an awards ceremony in middle school and someone didn’t get the “nice clothes” memo the teacher passed out.

We have a little more than an hour to go before the debate starts, so things are definitely starting to get exciting.

More news as it happens (and pictures too!).

- Liz Gnau

7:05 p.m. - I just had the opportunity to interview Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman. When I introduced myself to him, he smiled and started to chuckle.

“The News Record,” he exclaimed, “I used to be a reporter for them back in the day!”

Turns out Coleman is a UC grad.

I swear I had no idea.

-Matt Koesters

6:44 p.m. - While waiting for the debate countdown to finally end, I’m working on a youth voter turnout story for tomorrow’s Record. I called Justin Walters with the College Republicans to pick his brain on how many young people will head to the polls a week from today, and what his organization is doing to increase turnout.

He answers the phone and after I introduce myself he says he’d like to speak with me about my story, but needed to call me back. He admitted he was driving Arizona Sen. John McCain to the airport. Personally, I wouldn’t have answered an unfamiliar number if I were driving a Presidential candidate to the airport, but I guess that’s another conversation.

- James Ramey III

6:33 p.m. -  Jim and I just returned from a visit to the Spin Room, which involved a trek down many many stairs (the press room is on the fourth floor and the Spin Room is on the first).

 The Spin Room is where all the national broadcasting stations are camped out with their video feeds.

 If you’re watching the pre-debate coverage, MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews is broadcasting live from the Spin Room. 

(It seems like all the Cleveland State University volunteers are just standing around hoping to be on television.)

I’m pleased to report the coffee here is excellent.

More news as it happens!

 - Liz Gnau

6:12 p.m.- Since we first settled in, the television in the press filing room has been tuned to MSNBC, but just a few minutes ago a Cleveland State University worker changed the channel to local coverage on NBC-3 Cleveland.

During a single commercial break, they played a Barack Obama campaign ad, a car dealership commercial featuring a (rather poor) George W. Bush impersonator and a Hillary Clinton campaign ad. Coming back from the commercial break, the evening news crew has a face-to-face interview with MSNBC’s Tim Russert.

Cleveland is eating this up.

-Matt Koesters

6:09 p.m. - Hello dear readers, this is Liz, reporting live from the press room at Cleveland State University. 

Matt, Jim and I are having a pretty good time so far - the snow is still falling pretty intensely (Cleveland is expected to get between four to six inches of snow up through the end of the debate, and another two to four inches of snow overnight). Luckily, Jim and I both hail from the suburbs of Cleveland, so we’re used to it. Matt, a native Cincinnatian, is a little less accepting of the weather.

 It’s ALMOST as cold here in the press room as it is outside.

 We just finished dinner - a spread of three kinds of pasta, alfredo and marinara sauce, meatballs and chicken, salad and some raspberry layered cake-type thing. We journalists don’t get paid much, but we do know how to take advantage of free food (maybe that’s just because we’re poor college students).

I hope you enjoy the pictures Jim posted just as much as we do!

 - Liz Gnau

6:08 p.m. - Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern just had an interview with a radio show in front of us in the press room. He was the biggest “important” person we’ve seen so far this evening.

Immediately after that interview a few CSU student-volunteers (seen above) distributed viking foam-head piece (seen worn below). We’re not quite sure what they are for yet (maybe for keeping our ears warm in this chilly press-filing room), but we’ll let you know when we find out.

The MSNBC countdown has it at t-minus just under three hours to debate kickoff.

- James Ramey III

4:53 p.m. - Welcome, from Cleveland, Ohio, to the new political blog at The News Record. After a short, four-hour car ride up from Cincinnati this morning, we three reporters arrived safely amidst the falling snow in Cleveland.

While walking into the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University to collect our press credentials, we stopped to snag a few pictures of the Clinton and Obama supporters waving to honking cars on the corner of East 21st Street and Prospect Avenue.

One of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s supporters chanted in favor of his candidate: “We will, we will, Barack you!” I didn’t hear any of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton’s supporters chanting anything, but they were all waving at passing traffic encouraging them to honk.

We’ll have much to come over the course of the night, so check back soon.

- James Ramey III

The News Record is set to have live updates regarding the Democratic debate in Cleveland, Ohio on Feb. 26. Reporters at the debate will be blogging with the latest news and their thoughts on the debate, which is set to air from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.