‘Press’ the candidates

By: Jack Norcross

Here in the United States it is the press that pushes the powerful for the answers, the truth and for clarity. As a journalist covering the candidates, I believe this is my role. Over the course of the past five days I have been to seven campaign events, and the organization and respect toward the press has varied greatly. We have come in contact with a variety of types of campaigns, some more friendly than others.

I believe that if you are running for president you should be ready to answer questions from the American people whether you are a voter, a member of the press or a concerned citizen. The questions candidates face from the press are nothing like the questions they will have to answer as president. Whether it is questions from top military commanders or foreign leaders, the campaign trail is the perfect opportunity to practice your messaging and spread your ideas to people beyond those in a room.

When out at events, I was so surprised to see how sheltered some candidates were from the press. For some, a physical barrier with numerous staffers buffered the candidates from not only the press, but also the voters. In contrast, other candidates were among the people with Iowa’s retail politics on full display.

With the help of Rich Landesberg, the ultimate supporter of holding people accountable, I tried to cut through the staffers who highly discouraged questions and go straight to the candidates, much to the staffers chagrin. I was completely surprised at how far some staffers went to protect their candidates from asking basic questions about why students should support their candidacy. The staffer blockade between the press and the candidate made no sense to me. If the candidate themselves is unable to ignore questions from the press and instead rely on nearly half a dozen staffers, then what is the point of the candidate interacting with the general public at all.

At one rally today I was fortunate to meet a reporter who was able to provide insight in to the campaigns strategy for keeping the candidate a distance away from the press. They said that the candidates right now are so fragile and so vulnerable to remain supported in the polls. The candidates have now reached these extremes to protect themselves.

Tomorrow as we head to the candidates biggest press event of the month, the CNN/Des Moines Register debate, I will be interested to interact with the candidates in this environment to see if they are surrounded by the same type of protection. These candidates are supposed to represent the American people, and by not having the ability to ask basic questions, the first amendment representing the press is tossed to the sidelines.