It was nearly a quarter century ago that Atlanta hosted a national political convention.<br />
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The year was 1988, and the Democrats had come to town to nominate Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis to go up against Republican nominee George H.W. Bush, who had been Ronald Reagan's vice president for the previous eight years.<br />
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My job was to seek out local people involved in the convention, either as a delegate or alternate, or working behind the scenes, interview them and develop stories around their involvement. Meredith Melvin, daughter of John and Mary Lou Melvin of Gainesville, was one of the behind-the-scenes workers, as was, Jackie Sosebee, press secretary to then-9th District Congressman Ed Jenkins. <br />
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It was common to run into national figures while roaming the halls of the World Congress Center which served as something of a logistics center for the convention. Among those I encountered were Helen Thomas, veteran White House correspondent for United Press International (UPI), Pat Paulsen (the comedian who ran a tongue-in-cheek, halfway serious campaign for president several times), CNN's Larry King, and then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, some of whom I ended up interviewing for additional stories. <br />
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This, of course, was well before anything like AccessNorthGa.com, so I was only equipped with a tape recorder and pen and notepad - no cameras of any description. We didn't spring for a special desk or booth at the convention so I was sort of flying by the seat of my pants.<br />
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For instance, when it came time to file a report, I tried to find a quiet corner of the World Congress Center. There I would sit down on the floor (or a bench if one was available) and start writing my story, including checking my recorder to find the audio cut I wanted to use with the story. Just another day of winging it in the field.<br />
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Then it was off to find a phone since, of course, there was no such thing as a cell phone. But we had made arrangments with Meredith and Jackie to use the phones at their disposal.<br />
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As I recall, the Omni and World Congress Center were closed off to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for a radius of one of two blocks, maybe. Only people with proper credentials were allowed inside the perimeter. And, yes, there were demonstrators and they were kept well away from the two venues as well.<br />
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So, as Democrats prepare for their 2012 national convention in Charlotte starting Tuesday, I have pulled out the one souvenir I bought while at the convention - a coffee cup which I have dusted off and used for a week every four years since 1988. And, I still have my credentials stashed away somewhere. Maybe I'll get them out and wear them around my neck all week next week. <br />
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Not to make any kind of political statement but just help reminisce a bit.<br />
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<I>(Ken Stanford is the retired longtime News Director of WDUN-AM, WDUN-FM, 1240 ESPN Radio, and AccessNorthGa.com.)<I><br />
