Otterblog

Twelve pizzas, three big bags of chocolate-chip cookies and one primary later, we are still here. It was a wild night at times—and our computer system nearly came unhinged between editions. Presidential coverage stretches mid-sized newsrooms in incredible ways, but you can see why the newspapers in Iowa and New Hampshire would fight to the death to keep their status as first in the nation primary/caucus. It’s just plain cool to be a part of something so important. Not that covering the zoning board isn’t rewarding, but you know what I mean.

The key players in our newsroom are both really talented redheads. James Romoser, of Trail Mix fame, is our Raleigh correspondent. He’s scored a string of exclusives during the campaign, no mean feat given the hyper-competitive nature of political coverage and the breadth and depth of this state’s political reporters. Second is Sean Mussenden, who covers the federal side of North Carolina and South Carolina politics and government from Media General’s DC bureau. Sean parachuted in and hit the ground running. He has great instincts and an ability to cut through the fog of politics to get to the story. We’re lucky—and by extension you all are lucky—to have them.

As an observer rather than a journalist, the road map to the White House doesn’t seem any cleaner or clearer for either of the Democrats after yesterday. But the thing that interested me the most is the fact that about a quarter of the votes cast in the GOP primary (yes, there was a GOP primary) were for somebody or some principle other than John McCain. Not quite sure what it means, but it must mean something.