Monday Night Pepsi Center Video

By Jeralyn, Section Democratic National Convention 2008
Posted on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 04:32:53 PM EST
Tags: Democratic National Convention (all tags)

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Here's my video of my travels through the Pepsi Center last night. It's very raw and shaky and very different from what pro video-bloggers would post but I think you get a real sense of being in the Pepsi Center from it. [More...]

First off, after Ted Kennedy spoke, I left the hall to find my way back to the Blogger's Lounge where I was to exchange my floor pass for my regular Hall pass. I got lost and ended up in the bowels of the Pepsi Center just as Caroline Kennedy and others in their entourage were leaving. The Secret Service made us wait 15 minutes as they departed.

I also discovered a huge tech department down there. After wandering through that, still trying to find my way out of the maze, I went through a curtain and ended up in front of the stage, in front of all the delegations, right under the musical group that was performing.

Still trying to find my way home to the Blogger's Lounge, which none of the 8 volunteers I asked ever heard of, a nice worker tried to radio someone to find it. The information he got was wrong and I ended up on the club floor level where all the private parties for big donors were being held.

I got back in the press elevator to try again but we got kicked off on a different floor for a medical emergency. They needed to get someone out on a stretcher.

Finally, I found the blogger's lounge (down on level A, in what normally serves as the practice court for the Denver Nuggets) switched my floor pass back for my hall pass and left as Michelle Obama was finishing her speech.

I watched the end of her speech outside the Pepsi Center at the CNN Grill room which was probably where I should have spent the entire night. But then I wouldn't have my shaky, amateur underground video to show you.

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Monday Night Pepsi Center Video | 9 comments (9 topical)

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"Relax," said the night man, (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by weltec2 on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:11:44 PM EST

"We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!"

Thank you Jeralyn. Your video is a wonderful metaphor for how I feel within the Democratic Party right now... wandering around lost in the belly of the PepsiDemo machine... trying to find the place you're looking for. The camera focus was perfect for how I feel too. -:

: that's exactly what it felt like (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:30:14 PM EST

I was so glad to finally leave. Maybe if we had seats with tables to blog from, power conections and wi-fi in the hall like we did in Boston it would be different. I never thought I would miss blogging from the nosebleed seats on Blogger Alley at the Fleet Center, but I do.
Being allowed to walk the circular path around the convention floor while the Secret Service tells you to "keep moving, no standing" is hardly conducive to taking in the proceedings. It's good for spotting celebrities and snapping pix, that's about it.
If I had the energy, I'd check the seating capacity at the Pepsi Center vs. Fleet Center. Maybe there just wasn't enough room to spare 70 seats?(There are 50 state credentialed bloggers who sit with their delegations on the floor and 70 "general pool" bloggers who get access to the Pepsi Center but not the convention floor except for 30 minutes at a time on a first-come first sreve basis. Even with the 30 minute floor pass, we just get to walk around and around -- we don't get a place to blog the proceedings while experiencing it. Blogging from windowless press room with tiny television screens? I'd rather blog from home.

Cool video Jeralyn (none / 0) (#1)
by catfish on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 04:56:57 PM EST

Thanks for the report.

"The Adventures of a Lost Blogger" (none / 0) (#2)
by themomcat on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 05:08:17 PM EST

Any good suggestions for a title? "The Excellent Adventures of Jeralyn". ;-)
Are you going to be on the floor tonight or at the CNN Grill? Bring your camera regardless of where you are. The video is great.

That was fun. (none / 0) (#3)
by MichaelGale on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 05:11:58 PM EST

George Wills looked like he was lonely and Anderson Cooper evidently saw you with a camera as he was looking right at you for a long time.

Looks like a lot of walking getting from one place to another. So time consuming.

Thanks

That was Jeff Greenfield I think (none / 0) (#7)
by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:14:56 PM EST

In the beginning of the video?


: No (none / 0) (#8)
by MichaelGale on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:28:50 PM EST

it was when you filmed the CNN group, Wolf and Cooper...he keeps looking right at you.
When I saw the part in the film with George Will, I at first thought that man's arm was a leg and George was just sitting there being entertained. Went back and it was his arm!
Jeek. What a brief visual.

Does anyone else... (none / 0) (#4)
by p lukasiak on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 05:39:59 PM EST

think that the whole set (I can't say "podium") is, well, just horribly tacky?

I don't know, maybe its my TV (and my computer monitor) but the colors that the Dems are using needed to be muted, and all the rest of the decor is just gaudy as all hell?

Does it look that way in person, Jeralyn? Do you get a sense of "gravitas" from the stage, or is it as "Britney/Paris" as it appears?

: I like the stage and the room (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 05:55:12 PM EST

It's actually quite nice. Extremely high-tech and energizing, not tacky at all. I think muted colors would be depressing. This is a celebration, it needs to be festive, and it is.