The human touch

When Hillary Clinton came to Scranton last week she spoke at a high school gym that held 3500 people. It was an event that was open to the public, and tickets were not required. More than 4000 people showed up for the event, but when the gym was full, people were not turned away - despite what at least one local news station reported - but were instead redirected to the school's auditorium, where they - we - were able to hear Hillary Clinton speak to the crowd of 3500 people in the gym.

And when her speech was over, Hillary Clinton came to the auditorium to speak to us. It wasn't planned, judging by the frantic looks on the faces of her aides as they got things ready, it wasn't necessary, and it probably wasn't wise, from a security point of view. But she did it. And instead of being in a gym with 3499 others, I saw Hillary Clinton in a little auditorium with maybe 200 people in it. It was a nice touch.

Chelsea Clinton showed up the next day at her mother's Scranton headquarters. She spoke to a crowd of people in a room not much bigger than my kitchen, eloquently and without artifice. She took questions and answered them directly. And then she stuck around to sign autographs, take pictures*, shake hands, and talk to everyone.

Hillary Clinton was back in Scranton on Saturday for the Saint Patrick's Day parade. Marched the entire length of the parade, from what I hear. Again, she didn't have to do that, and it probably wasn't the wisest thing from a security point of view. But she did it. And people will remember that.

Tomorrow Bill Clinton will be in Wilkes-Barre as part of a whirlwind tour. He's speaking in Allentown, then an hour later he'll be in Wilkes-Barre, then an hour after that he'll be in Stroudsburg. Again, these events are free and open to the public.

Barack Obama was in Scranton yesterday for two events. These were both closed, private (but televised, or recorded for later broadcast) events, as have been several other campaign stops he's made in Pennsylvania. (Even at his Plainfield, Indiana rally at a high school gym, attendance was limited to 2000 ticket holders.) Obama's people brushed off the local media - at least one local newspaper reported a fairly brusque response to questions - and CNN host (and sometimes revealer and broadcaster of the identity of undercover intelligence operatives) Robert Novak complained that the campaigns are much friendlier to the local media than to their national counterparts.

I'm still waiting to be impressed by Barack Obama - not so much by the face he is placing on his campaign, but by his ability to relate to the voters. I am wondering if perhaps restricting access to the candidate is part of his campaign plan, so as to not dilute the product - to maintain the level of excitement and anticipation associated with the possibility of meeting him, rather than risk contempt bred by familiarity. Or maybe he is being protected from exposure to the populace at this trying, critical, and potentially dangerous time. Or maybe he's a snob who really doesn't want to be bothered by the proletariat - particularly by a bunch of coal miners, or their descendants.

I'm waiting Barack Obama to come back to this area. I'm waiting for the big Barack Obama rallies, which I picture as a cross between a Nuremberg Rally and a tent revival: a vast array of rank after rank of devoted followers, occasionally falling into a swoon or being possessed by the Holy Spirit. I want to breathe that air, hear that sound, absorb that energy. I know what a Hillary Clinton crowd feels like. Now I want to know what a Barack Obama crowd feels like. But so far that's not what I'm seeing, not what I'm getting.

I don't know what kind of show President Clinton will be putting on tomorrow, but I doubt that he will be as accessible as either Hillary or Chelsea. But as with both Hillary and Chelsea, the general public of Northeastern Pennsylvania will have a chance to see and hear him in person - which is more than can be said of Barack Obama so far.



*Two funny stories behind my picture with Chelsea Clinton. One: I exhausted my camera batteries as Chelsea entered the room, and I didn't have any spares. Fortunately they scraped together enough charge after a resting period to get me that picture with Chelsea. Two: The picture was taken by a very nice lady who was there with her daughter. But as is often the case, she was not able to figure out my camera immediately. So Chelsea and I held that pose, grinning side-by-side, for a good five seconds. "Did it go off?" the woman asked after her first attempt. "Not yet," I said through my frozen smile. Fortunately the batteries had enough juice for a second attempt.