Want to know why it costs so much to run for national office? Here’s one small example from last night’s Republican Convention, to which I have been glued. After Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke the President’s daughters appeared on stage to introduce their father, who was attending a campaign event in North Middleton Township, PA (near Harrisburg and Gettysburg). The President then appeared on the huge video stage backdrop at MSG. He appeared in casual clothes, as if he had taken a few minutes out from watching the softball game to introduce his wife, who was about to make a speech. Fine and fair enough. But a couple of things struck me as I watched all this; I wonder if anyone else noticed.
First, the spectators at the game were all on the third base side; at a normal softball game, the fans would be more-or-less evenly distributed along both base lines. Second, the lighting was just plain goofy. The fans were very well lit, perhaps a bit too well lit if the only source of light was typical small-town field lighting. The President stood in foul territory on the first base side, but there were a lot of shadows between him and the first base line which led me to conclude that the lighting for the tableau was entirely contrived. Clearly a fair amount of staging had been done to make sure the image was just right, and that it would be clear that the President was attending a typical summer’s evening event, a softball game.
Not that it was any old game, mind you. First of all, there was no umpire. It’s not very clear in this Reuteurs picture, but its odd that a game so important to be attended by so many spectators would not have an up. Second, both of the first two batters who came to the plate wore jersey number 43. Get it? And the jerseys were blue. Get that one too? I didn’t notice what number the third batter wore – he was on the only one who batted right handed. I wonder what advance person decided it would be OK for the first two batters to bat lefty while the President spoke? 
Not that I mind any of this, but I do find it interesting how nothing appears left to chance when campaigning for President. I’m sure that the Kerry folks are doing the same sorts of things every day.
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