By: Erin Olson As Election Day looms, the presidential candidates are gearing up for their first debate on Sept. 30 at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla.--and so are reporters at The Miami Herald. In fact, the paper has been laying the groundwork for its coverage since last November, when it got an inkling that it might be held nearby.
Leslie Clark, who has been covering the presidential race for the Herald, said she is brushing up on her knowledge of current issues in preparation. "It's like preparing for a pop quiz," she said. "Making sure you know names, dates, the parties' stance on the issues. I want to be sure if someone's name comes up, I'm not saying, 'Now, who's he?'"
The topics of the first Bush-Kerry debate will be foreign policy and homeland security. With that in mind, Clark said she was focusing on the latest developments in Iraq, North Korea, and especially Cuba--a topic she said readers in Florida always find interesting.
Clark, who said her function at the debate is "totally just as a reporter," will be the principal writer for Herald, but she believes two other reporters will help her cover the debate itself, with additional staffers covering protests, university-related issues and other party activities.
Local speculation about Florida hosting the crucial debate began more than a year ago, according to Clark, who added the Herald began running stories about it when Coral Gables was first mentioned as a possible debate site last November.
Since last Sunday, Clark said, the paper has run a story a day about the coming debate, and there will be plenty more before Sept. 30 arrives. "This debate being as important as it is for this election cycle, people will be eager to get as much information as possible," Clark said.
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