Barack Obama made his first appearance in Indiana since the May primary. He held a summit on national security at the Purdue Memorial Union.As you can imagine that caused quite a media stir. The ballroom was filled with 500 invited guests. Behind the guests were risers for the media. WLFI was among dozens of media representatives. We had crews from CNN, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Chicago there for the event. We streamed the video live on our web, as well as provided live coverage at noon, 5:00, and 6:00.
Most political events start late. Not this one. The panelist took their place about 10 minutes early, then a few minutes later Bayh and O'Bama took the stage together--like a team. That certainly is raising questions about whether Bayh is a viable choice to be Obama's running mate. When asked about that, Bayh referred all questions to Obama.
After the summit, I was allowed backstage with three other reporters to interview Obama. (two from Indy and one from Fort Wayne) There was a lot of waiting and security checks. When the senator entered the room, he made a point to meet every reporter and videographer and shake his or her hand. The reporters were allowed to ask one question. I asked Obama about what he thought his chances were in Indiana. Other democratic candidates have ignored the state because Hoosiers have historically voted republican. Obama has made 41 campaign appearances, as well as opened seven campaign offices and many more are planned. Obama said he thought his message about ending the war, the economy, and other issues appeal to people in Indiana. He thinks it will be a close race with John McCain.
We asked Obama about Bayh as a possible running mate. Obama said he is not prepared to talk about that. All he would say is that Bayh has many 'gifts' and that he would make an announcement when the time was right.
