CONCORD -- In a way, you had to feel bad for Pat Garland. An on-duty parking enforcement agent for the city, he could not get to his car to ticket cars illegally parked along North Main Street because a crowd of reporters and candidate supporters blocked his way.
"I'm just trying to get my car out, but these guys are in the way."
Huckabee was inside the Old Barley Restaurant here, tasting the Huckaburger: bison meat, spinach on a whole wheat bun. It's only available for a day.
Outside, a Paul supporter taunted a younger Huckabee fan: "Hey, what if the rapture happens? What then? Who's going to win the election then?"
There were a few rounds of "RONPAUL" -- it's one word when it's shouted -- and "Huck-a-bee." There were more Paul signs that Huckabee signs. 30 yards down the street, sign-waving Barack Obama supporters spouted his campaign slogan: "Fire It Up, Ready to Go."
Media types wandered by.
Bob Scheiffer of CBS. ... Tammy Haddad. ... Chris Matthews, who Haddad promptly interviewed with an HD camera for Newsweek's special campaign book. Mark Shields posed for a picture with a fan. Jake Tapper walked around asking voters about change. A bunch of us Atlantic folks tried to find a lunch place. Passersby recognized a few scribes from the New York Times. Gail Collins and David Brooks from the editorial page.
About an hour later, the crowd wandered across the street where John McCain was scheduled to hold a rally. He was 45 minutes late, but no one left, which was surprising in one sense: half the crowd, it seems, supported Ron Paul.
A McCain volunteer lamely tried to convince the crowd to chant "The Mac Is Back," but he failed, repeatedly, and an Irish bagpipe band played a discordant dirge.
McCain arrived and seemed out of sorts. He noticed a few "Global Warming" signs and the younger Paul supporters and spent a plurality of his short speech promising to make global warming a priority.
As if on cue, a chunk of melting snow fell off the statehouse roof and onto several McCain supporters on the steps. McCain paused; everyone was OK, although one well-put together woman was thoroughly soaked.
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"was OK, although one well-put together woman was thoroughly soaked."
Was it Hillary Clinton?
Posted by betty in baltimore | January 7, 2008 5:32 PM