A crowd pleaser from all angles

Enterprise editor

To say President Barack Obama didn't disappoint the crowd waiting for him at Lorain County Community College on Friday would be an understatement. He -- literally -- bounded out from behind a curtain and started shaking hands on his way to the podium to a rock star's welcome.

The crowd didn't disappoint the president either, with their thunderous applause and shout-outs of support.

"I love you," someone shouted. "I love you back," Obama told him. The crowd loved it. I loved it.

By now, everyone has read about or heard his formal remarks and the answers to some quirky questions put to him by the audience, but there are some things you should know about President Barack Obama, at least from my point of view.

He was very casual -- suit, no tie -- funny, confident, down-to-earth (I heard more than one person say they wouldn't mind spending some time chatting over a few beers with the president), and compassionate. He's thin, which makes him nicely photogenic, but I was surprised at just how thin he is when I saw him in person.

More than anything, he was relaxed. Of course, he meets the public by the thousands every week, but I've only been in the same room with the president once, so I'll admit I was nervous.

Everyone was nervous, about getting a ticket, about getting press credentials, about where the president was going to visit on his trip to Lorain County.

We received an invitation to apply to the White House for press credentials last Tuesday.

More than anything, he was relaxed. Of course, he meets the public by the thousands every week, but I've only been in the same room with the president once, so I'll admit I was nervous.

Everyone was nervous, about getting a ticket, about getting press credentials, about where the president was going to visit on his trip to Lorain County.

We received an invitation to apply to the White House for press credentials last Tuesday. On Wednesday I sent in a request for myself and a freelance photographer named Randy Meyers. We received confirmation on Thursday, Randy and I made plans to meet up at the college and everything was great until everyone started asking the same question over and over: What are you going to wear?

That kept me up half the night. And by the time I got to the office on Friday, I was a nervous wreck and was worried more about lint on my black pants than the president's visit. I was obsessing with a lint roller until I decided, this is it, I'm going to meet the president.

I arrived (no traffic or line of cars), parked, and followed the media folks on campus where I saw a line of people, a long line of people, in the drizzle. Those were the folks who got tickets to the president's talk. Thankfully media folks were directed to the cafeteria to wait for a clearance check at 11:30 a.m. It was about 10:20 a.m.

So we mingled.

There is a certain pecking order among members of the media. Everyone thinks they are more important than the others. The worst -- and I think everyone will agree with me -- are the TV broadcasters. They do a lot of huffing and primping and they like to push other people around with their importance. A Channel 19 reporter was overheard several times making demands. "But I have to be on the air at noon...I have to be on the air at two." Not sure what he wanted; doubted he got it.

I met a young man from Vermilion High School whose journalism teacher had gotten press credentials for one student. I met student journalists from Kent State University and Tri-C.

"I just started working for the school newspaper last week. Covering the president, this is my second story," one told me. Gee, I've only been at this for 22 years, I thought.

A young man from Kipton who was covering the event for The Collegian, the Lorain County Community College student newspaper said, "This is really cool, hanging out with all these media types in the same room. But I've noticed you guys all have the same mannerisms and the same look on your face."

"What look is that?" I asked.

"It's like this grimace," he said.

At 11:30 we were hustled from the cafeteria outside, and to another building where we were instructed to leave all our equipment lined up on the wet sidewalk, and advance to check-in which included a metal detector check and look through my purse.

A dog was brought in to sniff our equipment bags and the only thing he stopped to investigate was the fuzzy covering of a microphone which he thought was a toy and tried to steal.

Once inside the media "area" where we were cordoned by metal gates, we talked and waited, and waited and waited for the president to arrive.

There were some inconveniences...no food or water available even for sale from a vending machine, unless you were the White House press corps who all sat in a special are where they enjoyed salads, sandwiches, fruit, drinks and even chocolate layer cake. Our media tags, which had to be pinned to our shirts had a nice big "L" on it for local, or loser when it came to refreshments.

I did have an old breakfast bar in the bottom of my purse which came in handy about one o'clock. Note to self: See president, bring snacks.

The restroom situation was also a little ridiculous. Most of the hallways were blocked and we had a choice of waiting in line for a ladies room with two stalls or going outside to portapotties. I had time to kill so I waited in line and talked with other women.

Despite any wait in line for a ticket, a restroom, a security check or dehydration, when Barack Obama arrived, everyone's mood lightened and we all became intent on doing our jobs whether it was writing a story, taking pictures, taping for a broadcast or reporting live during the event.

I'll admit, I was the only member of the media I saw who was clapping with the rest of the audience when Obama whipped up a frenzy with just the right words. He is a showman, and a very good one.

I enjoyed his visit, his talk, his responses to the audience. I'm good at separating myself from any personal feelings while working a story, but this time I was glad for the president, and the people who came out to hear him. He seemed to enjoy it and the audience enjoyed it. Maybe it was just a nice shot in the arm for people in this county who needed a pep talk, and who better than from President Barack Obama?

As we were leaving, folks were snatching up the small American flags and welcome signs that were planted all over campus as souvenirs.

While I was in a line of traffic to leave the campus, a young man jumped from a car and grabbed a few of the small flags which lined the drive. Again, I'll admit it, the thought of having one of those flags as a keepsake did cross my mind, but I decided against it.

The day had gone pretty well. No sense hopping out of my car in traffic and risk getting hit. I could just read the headlines the next day: "Newspaper editor struck by car while trying to steal flag...pants covered with lint."