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August 26, 2008

DNCC - Tuesday August 26th

I just got my photo taken with Robert Kennedy Jr. I'm writing this post from inside of CNN private suite inside the Democratic convention. I'm a bit underdressed of course, with my Obama T-shirt and leather jacket, and I'm sweating like a whore in church, for obvious reasons.

I would take off my jacket, but then I'd only be wearing a Che Guevare T-shirt, and everyone in this teeny room seems to know each other. They're all pressing the flesh, greeting each other, and I'm sitting here trying not to be noticed, waiting for Hillary to speak.

I met Robert Kennedy Jr by chance. Robert and I were walking down the sidewalk in front of some fancy hotel and I saw a bunch of hybrid Tahoes and Yukons out front of the hotel. I started taking pictures of the trucks because I recognized that they had the special DNCC VIP license plates.

"Why are you shooting those license plates?" some woman asked me.

And I was like "those are the VIP DNCC license plates," I explained condescendingly. Like, she's so stupid that she doesn't realize the importance of the trucks.

"Well that's Robert Kennedy Jr. standing right behind you," she explained.

And I was like..."Oh". Boy, did I feel stupid. So, I did what any fool would do and asked him to take a photo with me and he did. :)

Robert and I were giddy. Both laughing and jabbering like jays in the sunshine.

Then, we ran into some people that Robert knew. I never run into anyone I know, but somehow, he runs into some of his peeps. And we chat with them for a bit and they're like "Dude...you have press credentials. How on earth did you get them?

"Well...I'll never tell."

And I turn to Robert and say "Well, I'm going into the convention. I'll see you later." And he follows me to the gate to get me shots of entering into the arena.

Right now, Mark Warner is speaking.


2008-08-26_18-38-20.jpg

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Robert A. Kiser
August 26, 2008 at 18:38 MDT, in front of the Hotel Teatro


2008-08-26_18-38-25.jpg

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Robert A. Kiser
August 26, 2008 at 18:38 MDT, in front of the Hotel Teatro

Update: I got booted out of the CNN Luxury Suite, eventually. (I know - big surprise, right?) I was sitting there, charging my laptop, downloading photos. Walking around and shooting photos of the speakers. But eventually, while I was sitting at my laptop, minding my own business, this woman came up and said, "Who are you?"

And I introduced myself and she told me that I was in the luxury suite was only for people with CNN, and I feigned ignorance and apologized profusely, but the guy next to me (his name was Rob) said "It was a nice try" and he was being sincere.

So, I left the CNN luxury suite and started wandering around the convention, but gradually I came to realize that my "Area" press pass only gave me access to wander around the arena. I couldn't actually go into any of the sections and sit down, which really sucked. I had deliberately copied the "Arena" pass because I assumed I could go anywhere in the arena. Wrong!

So, I just kept trying section after section and finally I tucked my tail between my legs and climbed up to the nosebleed sections where I figured they'd be less picky and pretty soon, I found myself sitting next to some nice people who weren't too sure who I was or why I was there, but they tolerated me fairly well.

I had my hind-end in a seat and I was tired anyway so I just sat there with them and made small talk. As it turned out, they were delegates to the convention, but not on the floor for reasons that weren't entirely clear to me. But at least one of them had floor passes.

"If you give me your floor pass, I'll go down there with my long lens and get some shots and give them to you," I offered. And they all agreed it was a swell idea and handed me a floor pass and I grabbed all of my gear and left.

Now, a less honest man would have just kept the pass and never gone back but instead, I just shot several close ups of it, front and back, so that I'd have the right credentials for the next day, anyway.

But when I tried to get on the floor, the guy said the fire marshall had closed the floor and no one else could go out there, which was probably a lie, but what can you say? The convention guy is saying "No" and there's a wall of police behind him wearing gloves with the fingers cut out and tapping their 3 ft batons on the concrete and so I went back and returned their pass and told them I couldn't get on the floor.

I met this chick named Kim with some passes to go to some party at Coors Field but I was like..."it's past my bedtime" and I came home. I've looked through my photos tonight, but I'm too tired to stay awake any longer.

Posted by Rob Kiser on August 26, 2008 at 7:29 PM

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