Much to the consternation I'm sure of many here , I will not be here during election week to share my thoughts with y'all. My former partner needs me back on the east coast to run one of his satellite trucks for Eurovision broadcasts about the election results and he's given me the choice of sites. Washington DC in front of the Reagan Building, or Boston at Kerry campaign headquarters. There are pluses to each. DC on election day has to be exciting and I've never been to Boston, but I love lobster and Irish Pubs. So it's pretty much a win-win situation for me, not to mention the cash involved, so which one do I pick?

Question for "debate"....

Do I go to DC and eat Maryland Blue Crab and hob-nob with the rich and famous politicians? Or, do I go to Boston and eat Maine lobster and hob-nob with Red Sox fans?

Well that is cool, and a tough one to decide. Knowing how you normally feel towards the candidates, I have to think that you are leaning towards D.C. at the moment.

I too have never been to Boston, but I have lived in Fairfax VA, just outside of the beltway.

Forgetting about being at Kerry HQ, I think that Boston would be a great place to be on election day. I can't think of a city richer in American democracy and patriotism than Bean Town. The Tea Party, Battle of Lexington, the Massacre. What we argue over everyday here on AD was born in Boston. I think that you would have a great time in Boston.

D.C. on the other hand well, stay on the beaten path. Not really a nice city and far from the beacon of Patriotism that lies near Boston Harbor.

Have fun, stay safe, and if you could, please, take some pictures.

Do I go to DC and eat Maryland Blue Crab and hob-nob with the rich and famous politicians? Or, do I go to Boston and eat Maine lobster and hob-nob with Red Sox fans?

I've never been to DC, but I have been to "Beantown" and it's a lot of fun, even in the frosty month of March, when I went. Contrary to what some choose to believe, it isn't all hoity-toity rich people. There are lots of down-to-earth working folks (and a lot of really pretty red-haired Irish lasses and good-looking Italian men-whoo hoo! ). The bars are awesome (whether Irish or Italian), excellent food, the oysters are firm and fresh, the beer's icy cold, the people warm and friendly; altogether a fun, boisterous city.

You would have to grit your teeth and bear all the Kerry posters, I guess....

edited so I didn't sound like a total dork who didn't read the whole post...

Boston--The food is much better.
New England is Pretty
DC is a sucky town
Full of Politicians

EZ choice AQ AQ
Boston

Plus if Kerry loses you can chuck rotting produce at his HQ

Just a quick update here, I appreciate the comments by Government Mule, DaffyGrl and Christopher, and agree pretty much with all of them. Boston was definitely my preference even though I'd be on the road during the Atlanta - Denver Bronco game, but I can record that. Unfortunately as they say all too often in the TV business - 'Change of plans" and it looks like they are going to need me in DC. This time next week I'll be on a plane bound for there.

Not a bad second choice all things considered. GM, I'll be staying a couple of blocks from the White House and The Mall so I think that should be ok and I'll certainly take my camera along and get some pictures. If there's any specific picture you'd like me to try to get (or anyone else here), let me know and I'll see what I can do.

I did try to convince my former partner that the real key to this election would be in Hawaii, specifically on the Island of Kauai and I'd be more than happy to take a production crew (my family could do that) and a flyaway out there for a couple of weeks for him.

He didn't buy it.....

Boston for sure. This could be like only a week after the Red Sox theoretically win the World Series so this place should still be elctric then again grumpy if they lose again. The pubs should be enough.

On a side observation I would not want to be in DC on the 2nd. .0001 percent of a terrorist strike is too much especially when Boston is the other choice.

Finally you are a Republican so DC (the most liberal section of the US) would probably be less appealing then Boston whish is only like the 2nd most liberal

Hey Aquila,

So DC it is. Plenty of good eateries around that area, but if you get a chance, maybe some photos of the Native American museum somewhere on or near the Mall? Our lame duck senator, Ben Nighthorse Cambell, helped with the opening ceremonies. Lots of people shots but not much of the museum itself.

Then just for giggles, gridlock on the roadways. I sometimes need a reminder of that.

Good luck & have a great time!

Have a good time, Aquilla!

The one time I got to visit the nation's capital, it was a cruel stroke of fate. I was traveling with three friends, and the one friend (who owned and drove the car) decided we could spend a "couple of hours" touring the Smithsonian!

I got to see the Hope Diamond, the gowns of the First Ladies, and little else.

Next time I find myself in Washington, D.C., I will be doing the driving, and we will spend three full days exploring the Smithsonian. If that isn't long enough, I'm going to try to stay longer!

Hope you enjoy the wondrous sights of our nation's capital!

Great suggestion about the Native American museum, AM, I'll be sure and get over there and take some good pictures of that! And, PE, knowing you I'd say you better plan on spending more than 3 days exploring the Smithsonian museums. That will barely touch the surface. The last time I was there which was back in the 80's I spent an entire week with six Lockheed test pilots at the Air and Space Museum alone. We flew our company L-1011 (ship one) into Andrews and flew two one hour demos in the mornings for Congressional and Pentagon VIPs and then had the rest of the day free. We'd head over to the Air and Space museum, look around and say hello to some "old friends". The pilots I was with had flown some of the airplanes there and even the movie that was being shown at the time was taken from our airplane with one of our pilots flying it. My claim to fame was the Skylab exhibit because the mock-up they had there for Skylab was my first office when I worked for McDonnell-Douglas back in the 70's. I had to prove it, and I did.

So, anyway, I am looking forward to this little road trip and I'll get plenty of pictures. I'll upload whatever Mike allows me to when I get back. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

Aquilla, I recommend the new WWII memorial on the mall, it's quite well done. If you like ethnic food at all, head up to Addams-Morgan, there's a lot of good eats up there. More than a few excellent ethiopian places like Addis Ababa. If memory serves me, go up 18th till you get to the blocks past U sreet.

The National Zoo is fun, and free. Of course the Smithsonian. I like the Hirschorn myself, but they're all good. If you like live music, make sure and grab a copy of the City Paper (free), and check out the scene. The new 9:30 club is one of the best venues on the East Coast.

Arlington Cemetary is a beautiful and sobering place to visit. Oh, and if you see any notices about the Army Band playing in town, check it out - my sister (that's Sgt. sister to you) is in the viola section!

If you go west on Constitution, and go across the river, there's some good restaurants over there, too.

Don't listen to what people say - DC is an awesome place. I love just walking around checking out the architecture.

And hey - see if you can get a picture of a Free Speech Zone® for me!

Make sure you get pictures of Bush looking sad when the results come in!


Just giving you a hard time (I hope you understand)...

Seriously, I hope you have a fun and safe trip, and don't forget to have fun while you're there!

Pics of the Korean War Memorial and The National Building Museum would be cool.

Hey now DC is not a sucky town

Aquilla since you were so into the Air and Space museum last time you should head out and see the new one they built...it is AWESOME and now the space shuttle exhibit is finally up. It is called the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

It isn't in DC tho it is in Virginia out by Dulles airport...but I am pretty sure they run a shuttle bus from the Air and Space museum downtown out to it. It is free but parking is a whopping 10 dollars..but I would imagine you avoid that if you ride the shuttle in but then I would imagine the shuttle costs something too.

As far as the restaurants go yeah yeah DC has some restaurants but the best restaurant around here is my dad's! Yes I am biased. It is in Annapolis..which is about an hours drive from DC. One of my favorite American cities.
Sorry gotta put in a plug for my dad...it would be betrayal to recommend any others.

OB's Prime I don't know why but I can not get it to directly link...you have to click on the the top link..."Newcomer OB's Prime has a lasting appeal "

PS Chef David is me dad
oh and PPS He has nothing to do with the FOH (service)

Y'all remember how I said one of the most used phrases in television news is "change of plans"? Well, we just had a doozy. Now, instead of DC or Boston, I'm going to Columbus, Ohio. Nothing against the fine people of Ohio, but all things considered, I'd rather be elsewhere I think for election day. Oh well, that's the television business, all fun and glamor.

Now there is an October Surprise

Hopefully some of our Ohio folks can steer you in the right direction of some cool tourist sites.

Actually, Ohio seems like it might be THE place to be on election day....if you're going to watch the election, why not do it from one of the preeminent 'battleground' states?

Do I go to DC and eat Maryland Blue Crab and hob-nob with the rich and famous politicians? Or, do I go to Boston and eat Maine lobster and hob-nob with Red Sox fans?

If it makes you feel any better, the rumour I heard when I was there is that all the Maryland Blue Crabs have been fished out, and now they mostly come from New Orleans. Anyway, people only eat Blue Crabs because they don't have any Dungeness--if Blue Crabs were really that good, they wouldn't have to cover them up with all those spices, no?

Actually, Hobbes, when it comes to crab, I'll take fresh Alaskan King Crab over pretty much anything else. There are few things in the world better to eat than that.

Ohio is definitely a battleground state in this election, that's why I'm being sent there but I'll let y'all in a dirty little secret about television news. The absolutely worst place to actually know what's going on in a national story is to be in the field covering that story. That's because you are only seeing a tiny piece of the picture and in my case, given that it appears I'll be working with a German news organization, ARD, chances are I won't even understand what they are saying. And, if we are using a trans-Atlantic bird for the feed chances are there won't be any transmissions that I can grab and downlink to find out what's really going on.

So, y'all will have to take notes and fill me in on what happened when I get back.

CJ, I think I found my "tourist spot", a micro-brewery named "Barley's" just down the street from the hotel. Looks like my kinda place.