A local volunteer leader since June of the Draft Clark movement, the 30-year-old University of Washington political science professor traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, days after former general Wesley Clark announced on September 17 that he would seek the Democratic presidential nomination.
"It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be present at the creation of a presidential campaign," Price, now back in Seattle, says. "It was very hard to leave--it was such an intoxicating experience."
The chance to go came when, a couple of days after the announcement, Price got a call from a friend in the Draft Clark movement who was in touch with Mark Nichols, Clark's personal aide. Price e-mailed Nichols, writing, "I want in and I think I can help." Nichols said Price was welcome to help out. Within two days, Price was on a plane.
It was chaos when Price arrived at Clark's headquarters six days into the campaign. There were 40 people working in a space for six (the campaign later moved to roomier digs). The fundraising team was housed in a Winnebago. Some of the new arrivals set up improvised desks and tables outside the building, and were sharing laptops.
"People were parachuting in and out," Price says. "Some came in for a week and had to go back to day jobs--like me."
From the moment Price arrived, he was putting in 18-hour days. He wrote talking points for Clark's speeches and interviews, and material for the website. He helped pick the campaign logo. He met Clark in person once. He thought about staying, but with a paid position uncertain and a wife, job, and mortgage waiting back in Seattle, he reluctantly came home when the week was up.
In the end, Price says, he learned how much goes on behind the scenes in a presidential run. He explains that a campaign is like a duck: "It looks smooth above water, but there's a hell of a lot of churning going on underneath."
