yesthattom | Interactive TV

So it's about 9pm and C-SPAN comes on all the TVs: They're broadcasting the inauguration of the new Dean bus that's going on tour through Iowa. Soon everything has stopped to see Martin Sheen and Rob Reiner's impassion speeches about Dean. Then they introduce Tom Harkins, who completely kicks ass with his speech. Then Tom introduces the bus. To the side of the stage is a garage door covered with a grid of Dean stickers. It slowly rises and behind it is a bus. The driver is wearing a Dean t-shirt, and in the stairwell is Dr. Howard Dean waving at everyone.

I look around the office and realize that the entire campaign has come to a stop as people stand and watch the video monitors around the office.

The bus enters the building enough to open the door and Dr. Dean hops out, gets on stage, and hugs Martin, Rob, and Tom. He thanks everyone (and makes a point of saying how great it is to have President Bartlett endorsing him) then goes into his new stump-speech. It borrows a lot from past speeches, but has some new finesse. He's really come into his own. At one point I turn to someone and say, "Wow, he's gotten a LOT better at public speaking in just the last month!" She agrees.

After the speech the reporters surround all the celebs and endorsers. For a long time we just stand there watching the screen. Then someone from the Dean campaign holding a cell phone walks up to Rob Rhiner and says, "Burlington is watching you on C-SPAN! Say hello!". He hands the phone to Rob who looks into the camera and starts talking to us. He thanks us for our hard work. He talks to the phone. Then talks to us. Back and forth. It was surreal. Unreal. Someone yells out, "it's interactive TV!" We all laugh and go back to work.