Work at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention precedes at astonishing pace. What was a virtually empty arena a few days ago has been transformed into a platform for the Democrats' version of The Greatest Show on Earth.
Unfortunately for the them, the same cannot be said of their Party. Often, in the last few years, they just can't seem to get out of their own way. The latest debacle involves leaked emails from Democratic Chairperson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She had long been accused by Senator Bernie Sanders', camp of deliberate attempts to derail his campaign in favor of the presumptive nominee, Hillary Clinton. And, apparently, from the content of those emails, it's all true. Of course, with the official opening of the Convention today, the timing couldn't be worse. Clinton has been suffering with credibility issues and this simply makes matters worse. Sanders' most ardent supporters have been SCREAMING this all along and it remains to be seen if they will shift their allegiance to Ms. Clinton. Many have said that, in good conscience, they simply cannot, or will not. She faces an uphill battle without them.
On a personal level, I'm functioning on almost pure adrenalin. Last week I worked a total of 89.5 hours and it will be more of the same this week. There has bee no time to complete a laundry cycle so I have hand-washed my undergarments and dried them in my car. The nearly 100 degree temperatures we have experienced this week makes it most effective. But, I'm not a kid anymore and this will, eventually, take an enormous toll on my body. However, the fact that I work with a wonderful, talented crew that works and plays hard makes it more palatable. And, of course, the $ will be great. Still, I miss my family, my friends, and my dog.
Being in the arena during setup has its advantages and challenges. The advantages include listening to reporters from around the world give their perspective as to what, according to their sources, they believe will transpire. And, we hear the sound checks for the various performers who will entertain the crowd during the official sessions. Yesterday we were treated to a wonderful rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Waters by the legendary Paul Simon. Knowing the Democrats, I'm sure that we can expect more celebrity performances and sightings.
Speaking of celebrities, I have been working with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Many of you saw his hilarious routine at the RNC and you can expect the same here at the DNC. There IS humor in both. Still, at the same time, they've been a pain in the ass to deal with. Although we have been treated well by most of his production people, his staff is another story. His minions, most of whom are young women in their early 30's (at most), give orders with a serious 'tude. Considering that me, and my co-workers have been doing this for more years than they have been on this planet, that simply will not wash. It's amazing how, in subtle ways, a technician can slow the production process. They will, hopefully, learn that - quickly. ;)
Today is the official opening of the Convention and both Bernie Sanders and First Lady Michelle Obama are scheduled to meet. That means that if we thought traffic and security around the Wells Fargo Center was bad before (and, it was) it will be much worse from now on. Despite being in a hotel nearly 30 miles away (no room for us in the city proper), we need to leave 2 hours for commuting time.
Hey, it's a living!
And, as I tell my peeps, one day at a time and before you know it, we'll all be home.
More coming.
Ciao for now.
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