Do we have an update from Symbolman yet?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

:bounce:

[seriousstan]

1. What was his itinerary? Did he have a stated plan?

[demobabe]

2. Yes, some video is starting to come in

Uploading and will post more details in the Symbolman update thread. He's had a lot of logistics and technical issues, but he's been pounding away. I've been asking him to come on the DU and talk about all that's been going on, but he's insistent he wanted to post some video first.

He sent some to me, and I've been posting it, and he just went to bed at 3 am, to be up again at 7 am.

Symbolman is in South Carolina later today (Jan 10th).

Here is the Edwards speech from New Hampshire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqmRkSvUncE

And footage continuing right after the above speech of John in the crowd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwHxCLSEgzo

The primary event was pretty cut and dry - no time for interviews - just a speech, a few handshakes and then the Edwards family and the campaign crew were on the bus and out of there. Symbolman has more video to capture and then encode, including Elizabeth Edwards - the next update will come at some point Thursday.

For a more general update: we've been in contact with the Edwards folks, but so far we have no commitment that Symbolman will be able to get an interview with John Edwards himself.

I have to say, all the Edwards volunteers have been very helpful and extremely nice, but it is clear this is a big media game. If you don't have the big dollars, you don't get to play.

For instance, there is a press plane. If you want to ride on it, it's $1000 per shot. If we were ABC, CBS, or even Fox News, a producer would ever blink an eye while budgeting that kind of money to follow a candidate.

And independent reporters? They have to pay the same $1000 as everyone else, or they get to thumb it to the next location.

There is also a press bus, too - but still that is $150 per day, and then you have to pay for your hotel room on top of that.

We've been stringing together frequent flyer miles and rental cars and short plane flights on budget carriers, and have been explaining ever so gently to the Edwards camp how this is Grassroots Media Reporting - how we're not the big media, how we aren't paid a salary to do this kind of thing and have an expense account. We've told them how we're here for all of the folks on the DU, Buzzflash, Kos, and others - all of the voters who are interested in really hearing what the candidates have to say and are not interested in having the Mainstream Media decide from the outset what our two choices should be.

So here Symbolman goes, to take the next step. There will be "press availability" tomorrow with John Edwards, but it's yet to be seen what that means.

I can only imagine how much Hillary's plane must cost...

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. Thanks demobabe!

you guys BOTH rock! :hug:

[Swamp Rat]

3. Geaux symbolman!!!

:kick:

[OneGrassRoot]

4. Where is the "update thread" we're supposed to follow?

Thanks for asking what I was thinking this morning, Viva!

:kick:

[demobabe]

5. Here is the link for the update thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2629414

:)

[OneGrassRoot]

6. Thank you! n/t