Interviewing and Covering Barack Obama

On April 23, 2008, I covered and interviewed Barack Obama in New Albany, Ind. as he ran for the presidential nomination. It was definitely one of the highlights of my career and personal life.

Thousands of people crowded Indiana University Southeast, a college just outside of Louisville, Ky. hoping to catch a glimpse of Barack Obama, someone that one of the people interviewed for my article compared to late President John F. Kennedy.

I had never seen the kind of passion exhibited for a politician as people had for Barack Obama. Though I did not get to actually meet the future president, I did get to stand near him at a press conference after the event and conduct a one-on-one telephone interview with him. I got to sit at a press table near the speech, and interviewed dozens of crowd members for their opinions on Barack Obama.

It was an exciting experience, and at the time it seemed pretty certain he was going to be the future president.

I never imagined any of this would happen. This was on the heels of me meeting and interviewing Hillary Rodham Clinton, meeting and covering Chelsea Clinton, and meeting and covering Colin Powell. (I did not get the picture that someone took of me and Hillary Rodham Clinton, but have the pictures of me and Chelsea Clinton and me and Colin Powell.)

At the time, I was a crime reporter at the Evening News and the Tribune daily newspapers just outside Louisville. I have spent years covering crime and politics, and was also involved as a political volunteer during high school, but never imagined I would meet so many major political figures in such a short period of time.

Those who wish to cover people such as Barack Obama are best served by taking journalism classes, working their way into small newspapers, and working hard at non-glamorous assignments. If I had not worked at a small newspaper, I probably would never have met and covered all of those people, especially Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Barack Obama was exciting to see in person, and warm and personable on the phone. I am not certain if I will ever see or cover any of these people again, but am forever grateful for the experience of being involved in the biggest presidential race in our country's history as more than a simple observer.