A Date with John Edwards

No, friends, I haven't jumped ship. The gratuitously sensationalist title is just that. I'm off to hear John Edwards on Friday morning at Pace University; he's giving a "major policy speech."

My plan is to compare the experience, from end to end, of being an average person attending an inexpensive (or free) political event featuring a candidate. As a prelude to that future post, let me explain how I, a long-standing Obama supporter, became aware of a John Edwards campaign event in the first place.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from someone I know with a link to a post from an individual's blog on the John Edwards campaign site. To access the post, I was prompted to create a basic site profile. Basic meaning username, password, email address and maybe a zip code.

It was a short enough process that I don't recall the exact data fields; as a person who once built databases to make a living, I tend to remember those things. They made signing up easy and non-intrusive enough to get my email address on their list. I registered, read the link I'd been sent, and then wandered off to another online destination.

Within a day, I began receiving regular emails from the Edwards campaign about new content on their site and high-level campaign announcements. My username, "justlooking," doesn't seem to have put anyone off (somehow I can imagine Hillary's people scanning data like that in some sort of counter-intel campaign initiative...).

I haven't felt spammed, but I haven't been drawn to click through to their content either -- with one exception. On Wednesday they got me to take action with an email invitation to attend a speech to be delivered by John Edwards on Friday, September 7.

I followed a link in the message body and it seemed that I could reserve a place at the speech with a simple RSVP, including an email address, phone number and zip code. Again, quick and easy, if a little short on details.

And my plan was born. Go to this Edwards event. It offers a perfect opportunity to compare and contrast two first-tier Democratic campaigns and their operations on the ground in NYC.

I should add that I'm not averse to hearing what any candidate in the 2008 race has to say. This is not just an intelligence-gathering foray for Obama. A prominent Democratic contender discussing a crucial right-wing leverage issue that touches foreign and domestic policy should command some attention, regardless of whom you support.

I'm really curious to find out what happens to me tomorrow. I genuinely don't know what to expect.

I am interpreting the absence of caveats like "first come, first served" or "RSVP does not guarantee you admittance," to mean that there will be an orderly line leading to greeters who will only admit pre-registered guests. I expect that there will be a seat for each person who did respond to the invitation, and that I don't need to bring any proof of having responded to the email other than my name.

I'll try to arrive at least one half hour before doors open, but I am not going to camp out from the crack of dawn. How will I, an average and anonymous citizen, be treated by the event organizers (i.e., Team Edwards)? Tune in tomorrow.