Monday, October 22, 2007

Behind the Scenes: The Candidates for Mayor

I wanted to tell you about my weekend. There were so many wonderful and interesting fund-raising events to tell you about, but with a very time-sensitive subject at hand I will save the weekend recap for tomorrow.
Friday, I had a rare chance to go behind the scenes with the two men running for mayor of Pittsburgh. Both Mark DeSantis and Luke Ravenstahl allowed me spend some time with them as they prepare for tonight's debate ( 7pm on WTAE ). The premise of my story is how do the candidates prepare to step into the TV debate spotlight.
First, I was surprised that both camps were willing to let me go "inside" their pre-debate planning. After all, this is their first televised debate and a chance to make the greatest impact so far in the race for mayor.

The surprises did not stop there. My interview with Mayor Ravenstahl allowed me to enter the mayor's office for the first time. He's a sports fan, just like me, and has pictures hanging in his rather large office with various athletes and a signed Mario jersey. But the thing that really got my attention was the way Ravenstahl is preparing for tonight's showdown: No mock debates. He just goes through his notes and quietly prepares. I think a lot of it comes from his days as a place kicker at Washington & Jefferson. Back then, kickers pretty much practiced by themselves.

The advantage of incumbency was obvious when you step into Mark DeSantis' office. Folding tables and boxes in a large rented space. There was a mural promoting DeSantis for mayor on one wall, but hardly any of the trappings of the mayor's office. However, he did have staff members posing as reporters, moderators ... and even Mayor Ravenstahl. DeSantis was quite candid about not attacking his opponent, but rather being honest and getting his point across.

From my brief time with both, I did notice one stark difference. Ravenstahl - at least outwardly - appears to be less nervous. He says he's prepared for this debate by dealing with the media everyday of his administration ( and we can be a tough bunch ). DeSantis seemed nervous he prepared, still learning exactly where he will stand and what he will say in his first televised debate. However, he and his team did have the weekend to perfect their craft so it will be interesting to see how both fare Monday night in their first televised face-off.

Look for my report on the candidates debate preparations tonight on Channel 4 Action News starting at 5pm

Posted at 4:10 AM