NPR: 'Hurry-Up and Wait' Often Typical on the Campaign Trail

'Hurry-Up and Wait' Often Typical on the Campaign Trail

In Columbia, SC...

Today, people who have never covered a campaign might be surprised to know how much time we spend ... waiting.

With all the stuff going on, and the constant swirl of activities, you might think you'd spend all your time jumping from one place to the next. And you certainly could. But if resources are limited, and they always are, you have to figure out exactly WHERE you want to go, and what the payoff is -- who's going to be there, and how that plays into your story?

Today, we did a lot of waiting. We thought we had a lead on an interview with a BIG CHEESE from one of our campaigns of interest. We got excited, got our scripts ready and our equipment in order. And then, no dice. There was a scheduling problem; events were running late ... no time.

Hey, it happens.

Michel Martin

7:13 PM ET | 01-20-2008 | permalink

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