I tried to cover Joe Biden, but got stuck in a Charlotte mansion’s bedroom instead
When a night covering Vice President Joe Biden’s exclusive Charlotte fundraiser took a weird turn, I did what any good millennial would – document it on Snapchat.
I planned to cover the $1,000- to $2,800-ticket Democratic presidential fundraiser, but spent most of my night stuck in a guest bedroom in Erskine and Crandall Bowles’ south Charlotte mansion.
The Biden campaign team did not provide an official comment Thursday.
I’ve covered presidential campaign stops before, as the Rock Hill Herald’s political reporter until I moved to the Observer in July. But I’ve never covered Biden in person.
So when the Observer asked if I would cover the former veep, I jumped at the chance.
Erskine Bowles, the former chief of staff for President Bill Clinton and ex-UNC-system president, and his wife, Crandall Bowles, former CEO of S.C.-based Springs Industries, hosted the fundraiser at their Olde Providence Road property.
Biden’s campaign team announced all of his big-donor fundraisers would be open to some media, Politico reported in May, an unusual move for presidential campaign fundraisers since they are typically closed to the press. But it wasn’t announced exactly how much of the event reporters would be allowed to attend.
Turns out — not much.
As soon as I arrived, I was ushered into a building, past guests sipping cocktails and wine and up some back stairs. A Biden communications team member sat me down at a table with almonds and water bottles, then closed the door.
The beige-walled two-bed guest bedroom on the second floor — each bed under framed batik fabric artwork of African animals — linked to at least three closets, a bathroom and a study.
After 30 minutes of scrolling Twitter, I emailed Biden’s press team, got no answer and decided it was time to make my escape.
Downstairs, announcements were being made – Biden was almost there.
I made my escape, getting a hug from Erskine Bowles himself before getting the chance to introduce myself as a reporter. I went to find communications staff.
Two staffers immediately ushered me away from the guests — into a kids playroom, before sending me right back to the upstairs guest room.
“Can I stay down here and watch?” I asked.
“No.”
A Biden communications team member told me she’d come back for me in 45 minutes when Biden started speaking, and gave me a companion, an AP reporter coming from Biden’s Gaffney, S.C., town hall.
The staffer actually came early, to bring a taste of the fundraiser, in the meantime, a small plate of hors d’oeuvres – shrimp, cucumbers, caprese on toothpicks.
This actually isn’t the first time an Observer reporter was kept away from a political fundraiser with shrimp. Politics reporter Jim Morrill says he once covered a George W. Bush fundraiser where the press pool was left in a garage across the street, and given shrimp and beer.
The Biden team member was true to her word and got us just in time for Biden’s 8:50 p.m. speech. So I did get to see Biden eventually – sure, I was 100 feet back and behind a bush, but I was there.
As soon as he stopped talking, we were led out, given the choice between leaving or going back to the bedroom to write.
I left.
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