September 01, 2004
At Least He Got To Keep The Green Polo
Posted by The Editors | 11:18 AM
DNC staff sporting baby-blue t-shirts did a brisk business outside Madison Square Garden Tuesday afternoon, offering pedestrians the chance to donate money to the Kerry campaign by credit card, check, or cash. One young man listened earnestly to the spiel and then clasped hands with the staffer. "I really appreciate all the work you're doing out here," he said, a sentiment not uncommon on the Democratic streets of New York--except that the young man, 16 year-old Brian Silver, was clad in the green polo of an RNC volunteer.
Brian is active with young Republicans in New Jersey, and he'd committed to working all five shifts of the convention. In return for showing up every day, he was told, he'd get preferential assignments. And, indeed, he'd spent Monday passing through the VIP lounge and helping Congressional Members and delegates alike find their seats. Late Tuesday afternoon, though, he was told he'd have to skip the lounge and floor privileges and hop a bus out to JFK Airport to meet delegates at the airport. He quit instead. "I'm not a big fan of the RNC right now," he said, as he headed out to spend a few hours on the town before going home. "They could treat us better."
"Nice kid," said the DNC staffer as the green polo disappeared down the street. -- From Corine Hegland, Convention Daily
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