The former governor had arrived a few minutes before he was scheduled to speak to an organizing conference at St. Anselm College near Manchester. He was chatting along the side of the entrance road with a throng of college students, all Dean supporters, when a large red box truck began a slow turn into the parking lot.By Dean's own recounting, he saw the truck slow down, and "decided to have a little fun." As the truck swung by, Dean hopped onto a running board on its rear.
"I thought the guy was going to pull up 5 feet and I was going to get off and say, 'Ha ha ha,' " he said. A playful prank for the benefit of a friendly crowd.
But then the truck took off. It accelerated to about 20 miles per hour, and zoomed out around the corner.
"I was stuck, clinging to the back of the truck," Dean said.
And he was. A home video shot by Dean's aide, Kate O'Connor, shows the procession.
Dean is seen shaking hands and talking with his young volunteers. The truck pulls into the frame between Dean and O'Connor's camera, blocking the shot for a moment. The red truck passes, and O'Connor's camera is still aimed at the same position. She expected Dean to still be there. But Dean is gone.
Just think about all the ways opponents could use this footage in campaign ads.
So, does this mean the Secret Service guys are really hoping Dean doesn't win? He would be too difficult to protect.
Posted by: King of Fools | Thursday, October 23, 2003 at 07:29 AM