McAuliffe kick off staging impressive

Former Democratic National Party Chair and Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign Chair Terry McAuliffe kicked off his campaign for governor on Wednesday. It’s a three day kick-off that includes stops in all the parts of the state including his Thursday stop in Roanoke.

I have attended a lot of campaign kick-offs in my 15 years covering politics in Texas, Mississippi, and Virginia. But, I have to say that this was the most impressive event I have ever witnessed from a statewide candidate, particularly a first time candidate.

The event was set up like a town hall meeting with the podium in the center. McAuliffe had the appearance of being surrounded by people. And, since one of the wraps on him is his short Virginia history, it also gave him a chance to interact with Southwest Virginians and answer their questions.

The staging was also impressive with a riser for the media, high quality sound system, good lighting, and a crisp campaign banner.

McAuliffe’s stump speech is strong and he has almost memorized it… and keep in mind this is just the second day he’s been giving it. Some of the 2008presidential candidates weren’t able to achieve that level of script mastery in two months… much less two days. Also, when taking questions on a wide range of topics, McAuliffe showed off his knowledge about government, business, and politics.

Even the little things were done well. For instance, he gave his stump speech from a podium, but moved away from it during the Q&A time. On cue, a staffer was there to physically remove the podium. This attention to detail is rare, especially from a first-timer.

Now, I know I’ll get emails saying I’m sucking up to the Democrats, etc. And I’m not. Notice, I’m not talking about his stance on the issues, his platform, or his record. I’m only commenting on the presentation of his kick-off. And on that score, McAuliffe hit a home run.