The Republican Party of Iowa released a compilation video awhile ago showing various run-ins with trackers who show up to film Theresa Greenfield’s public events.
Watch:
Trackers are part of politics, and, yes, if they ask questions those questions are often leading or obnoxious. I can understand a candidate not answering a question while headed out of the door though the optics look bad.
What I don’t get is trying to kick cameras out of public events, especially in the era of smart phones when almost everyone carries one in their pocket.
Last week, when she spoke at an meeting hosted by the Grimes Democrats at the taxpayer-funded Grimes Community Center, she attempted to kick another camera out.
I witnessed the exchange in the video above, and Greenfield came over to me next. I was wearing my media credentials and had my video camera with its tripod set up. She didn’t ask me to turn my camera off, presumably because she was just shut down. Even so, had she asked me to not video what do you think my story would have been about?
Since she didn’t, I focused my story on the discussion around gun control instead (I always include full video of events I attend). Anyway, everybody in that room knew I was a conservative and one person who attended said she subscribes to Caffeinated Thoughts’ email.
If Greenfield can’t handle cameras as a candidate how will she handle the scrutiny as a U.S. Senator? Again, trackers are part of politics. Republican candidates have them following around as well. Are we to believe that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) doesn’t have people following U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, around? It’s just part of the process.
If she can’t handle it, perhaps she shouldn’t be running for U.S. Senator.
