al-Hurra

(An outlying encampment of the media fortress across from the Xcel Center.)

Yesterday, I received a call from my employer at the RNC next week, al-Hurra. Who? That's what I asked when I learned two months ago that I would be working for them. al-Hurra is a (United States) government-run organization that broadcasts news and other programming on television and radio in the Middle East, much like Voice of America. (Not exactly what I had expected when I signed up.) The man who called me invited me to come down to the Xcel Center and tour their operation before the convention began.

So I went down, and (of course) he was out to lunch. But once he got back, he showed me around. al-Hurra, he explained, is meant to be a pro-American counter to Al-Jazeera, the Arabic news station. Al-Jazeera has a relatively large news staff at the conventions this year, and is trusted much more than al-Hurra (seen as a Western tool in the Middle East), but the folks over there still believe they can compete. What exactly I will be doing for them, I don't know--I don't speak Arabic. I suspect I'm going to be an errand boy. But I will be an errand boy on the floor of the convention!

While I'm on the topic of media, let me discuss the media zone, or perhaps small country, outside the Xcel Center. It occupies half a city block, a fenced-in bubble filled with busy-looking men striding around with their Blackberries to their ears. Most news outlets--from CNN down to al-Hurra--have a tent or a trailer in there. It's as though an occupying force has arrived. When you step through the gates, you are no longer in St. Paul. You are in the Media Cocoon. I'll be spending plenty of time there in the coming days.

The Xcel Center

Well, I promised you photos of the Xcel Center, but the Secret Service disagreed. I was not allowed to take photos--they don't want potential troublemakers to know about the layout in advance. But I took plenty of shots of the outside:

The Xcel Center, I learned, is a converted hockey stadium. You'd never know to see it--the Republicans have, in the space of a month, completely converted it. A giant TV screen--the second-largest HDTV in the world, after the one at the Beijing Olympics--and the podium in front of it dominate the arena. The delegates sit on the floor of the hockey rink (without ice, of course), surrounded by thickly carpeted walkways, so that they have to descend into the seating area. We watched while the media crew for the Republicans tested their cameras and fast-forwarded through video backdrops on the TV screen. The convention hall is a sight to behold--and I will be uploading photos and video once the convention starts next Monday.

At the seminar, we heard from former Oklahoma congressman Mickey Edwards, our politician-in-residence. Edwards was a member of the Republican leadership during his time in Congress, before he became involved in a banking scandal and was voted out. Now, needless to say, most of the students at our seminar are dyed-in-the-wool Republicans, and I expected Edwards to throw them some red meat. But he hasn't. He's been quite forthright in his condemnation of President Bush's administration--though he agrees with Bush politically, he believes Bush has crossed too many lines, both legal and political. This morning, the room suddenly just tore into him, because they believed he was too liberal. A room full of diehard Republicans lighting into a respected conservative intellectual for being too liberal...a worrisome sign for a Democrat in their midst. But it's just what I signed up for.

Stuck Between Left and Right

(Minneapolis, from the east. The white dome in the front is the Metrodome.)

Howdy all! I just got into the Twin Cities less than a week ago, and I've barely had a moment to spare, and no internet connection besides. But I've found a minute to go to a Starbucks and get this blog going.

I'm David Klock, from Wyndmoor (right outside of Chestnut Hill). I'm also a junior at Macalester College here in St. Paul. Macalester has invited me to come back a week early to participate in a seminar about the upcoming RNC in St. Paul, including an internship. For the next two weeks, I'm going to be spending ten-hour days listening to congressmen, discussing the elections, and working on the floor of the convention.

At the same time, I'll be negotiating my school, Macalester. Macalester students are not entirely friendly to the Republicans. Three days ago, before classes had even begun, they were out on the streets waving signs and protesting the war. Our campus is planning to host hundreds of activists from around the country who will gather to disrupt the convention. Needless to say, most of the folks on campus aren't too happy about my work for the RNC...if anything interesting happens on the protest front, I'll get it up here on the blog for you, as well.

One more thing you should know: I'm a Democrat. Why am I working at the RNC? Because it's interesting to me. I've spent all my life around Democrats, not least on the campus of Macalester, and I want to broaden my horizons a bit. Maybe I'll learn something I didn't know, maybe I'll change my views...I'd much rather be here than at the DNC. This will be an eye-opening experience.

Now I have to run and catch a ride to the seminar today. We're going to tour the Xcel Center, where the RNC will be held, today. I'll be back this evening to get some photos up and tell you a bit more about my experience here.