Duers living near Kerry campaign stops - Describe local news coverage.

[blm]

It's apparent the national news won't give Kerry campaign stops and the enormous crowds the airtime due.

Please describe how your local broadcasters and newspapers are covering the campaign and the crowds.

If he's getting positive, saturated cover along the trail that would translate into GREAT news. Give us your observations.

[flpoljunkie]

1. Here's an article from the Detroit News mentioned in ABC's The Note

http://www.detnews.com/2004/politics/0408/03/c01-230538.htm

Kerry invades Bush stronghold in Michigan

Observers surprised by turnout of 15,000 in Grand Rapids

By Mark Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing Bureau

John T. Greilick / The Detroit News

Sen. John Kerry makes a point as he addresses a huge crowd in Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids.


GRAND RAPIDS — Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry on Monday waded into the heart of Michigan Republican country — of all places — to sustain the momentum triggered by last week’s Democratic National Convention.

He drew a surprisingly large crowd of more than 15,000 energized, poster-waving backers to a sun-drenched downtown rally that impressed even the natives of this longtime capital of west Michigan conservatism.

“I am shocked that this many people showed up in Bush country in the middle of the day on a hot Monday,” said Albert Steil, 64, a political science professor at Davenport University in Grand Rapids.

Added Mark Gaffney, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO: “What a turnout. He’s hitting his stride at the right time.”

The Kerry rally followed by three days a Grand Rapids appearance by President Bush at a smaller site that packed in about 4,000 supporters.

[PAMod]

2. July 30 rally in Harrisburg, PA

From the Harrisburg Patriot-News: "The freshly minted Democratic presidential ticket swept into Harrisburg last night as it tries to build on momentum from the party's national convention and rally Democrats in a must-win state.

The visit by John Kerry, John Edwards, their families and actor Ben Affleck signaled the start of two days of campaigning in Pennsylvania by the Democrats and President Bush..."

<http://www.pennlive.com/statehouse/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/109126564533230.xml>

The actual newspaper had some beautiful color photographs on the front page and throughout section 'A'.

Also on WGAL (local NBC affil.) and the PA Cable Network (a c-span type state-wide cable channel), reporter Janelle Stelson gave a spirited account of the rally on live TV.

PCN has been periodically re-broadcasting the rally since Friday night.

edited to fix link

[blm]

3. That's VERY interesting, since the Patriot News is very right-leaning

who always kept their more left-leaning staff under tight restrictions.

I guess they couldn't deny what people were seeing with their own eyes.

Good news about the local broadcast, too.

[PAMod]

6. The atmosphere at the rally was electric.

I have never experienced anything like that before.

The excitement in the faces of the people there, even several hours before the candidates arrived, was plainly visible. The roar of the crowd when they arrived sounded like an ocean wave.

I wonder sometimes if the reporters don't sometimes get caught up in it, even the ones who might otherwise scoff at the candidate or the message.

[PAMod]

9. Heh, that didn't last long - read this:

The Patriot-News grinding their axe days later:

<http://www.pennlive.com/statehouse/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1091612439149440.xml>

When you read this, keep in mind that local law enforcement gave the number at 20,000+, and also that the Secret Service scanned only the red & blue ticket holders, while the majority of the crowd was white ticket general admission, which did not go through processing.

[RetroLounge]

4. Here's the article from Milwaukee

"Everything is at stake!" Kerry told thousands of supporters who packed into Pere Marquette Park and lined the opposite side of the river. "Jobs! Health care! Education! Civil liberties! Civil rights! The Constitution! Social Security! Medicare! Our children! The environment! Our future! All of it is on the line."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/nat/aug04/248359.asp

RL

[blm]

7. How about the local tv news? I notice this article doesn't give numbers

for the crowd size, while they seem to inflate the numbers for the Bush supporters.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. Look at the losers speaking with a Kerry vet.

[radfringe]

5. links

pics of Kerry rally in Scranton PA 7/30/04 http://radicalfringe.freeservers.com/photo.html

my "report" (scroll down) http://radicalfringe.freeservers.com/

terror polls have been updated -- http://radicalfringe.freeservers.com/about.html

local coverage has been favorable, some crabbing about the tickets and who got preferencial seating -- but no one had to sign a loyalty oath to attend. Most of the crabbing was about the heat, lack of adequate water accessibility, and the security screening ( 15-17,000 people, 2 sets of security screening -- you do the math to figure out how long people had to stand in line....)

there was some mention that many people may have attended just to see Ben Affleck and not John Kerry - but judging from the comments I over heard I think more people were there to see/hear Kerry