"No bs, please!"

Those were Chris Matthew's words as he selected various supporters from the crowd today at ASU. He was doing a sound check for his 4 p.m. live taping of "Hardball" the day before the third debate. Under a CNN tent, Judy Woodruff was taping "Inside Politics", trying to talk over a loud crowd of both kinds of supporters. As she interviewed Governor Napolitano, the crowd chanted "Kerry, Kerry" over and over. It was a scene from a college campus in the 1960's: peace protesters, Women In Black against violence, a guy singing anti-war songs in fatigues, interest groups of all types on both sides. White crosses on the lawn for all the deaths in Iraq, a teddy bear marking each that left a child. There was a pile of marbles, one for each Iraqi killed in the war, with a toy for each child killed. There was a table with books of memorials for each soldier, with a biography and photo, and plans for a candlelight vigil in their memory tonight. (www.annistonstar.com , Facts of the Fallen was the source of their biographies.) It was a totally energizing event, mixed with the reality of the importance of the election and the remaining three weeks prior to November 2.
I did get to shake hands with Chris Matthews, telling him that we think he is awesome and always hits it right on. I waved signs and cheered as the cameras panned the crowd. The parking was miles away, and the media shuttles were everywhere. As it got hotter, the crowd got more intense. You really had to want it to be there and fight the crowds and parking limitations. The huge Bush signs shoved the big Kerry signs, probably a microcosm of the whole campaign. People were challenging those with other signs, asking "how can you vote for him?" I ended up with a "Vote for the Environment, Vote Kerry Edwards" green sign. As I walked through the crowd holding it overhead, a guy with a "Viva Bush" sign looked at me and said, "Who cares about the environment? Well, I guess he doesn't.