'World News' broadcast draws crowds Downtown

By Stephanie Brien
Journal Times

Friday, October 10, 2008 4:14 PM CDT

SLIDESHOW: "ABC World News" in Racine

RACINE — “Good evening from Racine and the shore of Lake Michigan,” Charles Gibson started his “ABC World News” broadcast Thursday evening.

As Gibson spoke from a balcony at the Johnson Building, 555 Main St., at least 300 people stood below showing support for senators Barack Obama and John McCain.

Racine was part of the show’s “Great American Battleground Bus Tour,” where the crew is stopping in seven cities in battleground states over the course of nine days. The tour started Oct. 2 in Orlando, Fla. and is scheduled to end today in Davenport, Iowa.

The broadcast concentrated on the economy and politics, and it included a special segment about a Gateway Technical College training program in Racine.

While the election was a large part of the broadcast, Gibson said in a phone interview with The Journal Times that he does not vote.

“To be honest, I don’t vote because it prevents me from having to make up my mind,” Gibson said. “That’s a matter of private conscience.”

After his 5:30 p.m. broadcast, he elaborated on his voting decision with a small group of people who were inside the Johnson Building.

His family gives him a lot of grief about not voting, he said, but as long as he is in the news business he does not want to bias his reporting. As soon as he retires he will return to voting, he said.

When Gibson started the tour, “I was sort of interested in what people would talk about,” Gibson said. He expected a lot of people to talk about national security as well as jobs.

But the economy has trumped everything.

“For the last couple weeks, it’s been all about the economy, all about jobs,” Gibson said.

“People are scared ... People are not trusting banks.”

Before the broadcast, Renee Lee held a sign outside the Johnson Building emphasizing that point.

“Too many jobs lost. Too much money lost. Too many homes lost. ... Vote Barack Obama,” the sign said.

She was one of a crowd of people gathered on Main Street chanting for Obama Thursday evening.

Lee said that they were shouting in response to McCain supporters. But from the balcony, only Obama supporters could be heard.

Less than a half hour before the broadcast, ABC producers were very concerned about how the chanting would affect the broadcast.

“We have no problem with them demonstrating, we are just a little afraid about the noise,” said Stu Schutzman, the senior producer for “World News.”

The police ended up closing Main Street from Fourth to Sixth streets to help alleviate some of the noise.

Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen said ABC officials did call police to ask for help in quieting things down.

“They called us initially and were complaining about all the noise, all the screaming, yelling and horns because it was disrupting the show,” he said. “But certainly people have a right to be doing that.”

Instead Wahlen went to the people rallying and asked for cooperation.

“What I was really amazed at was that I asked them to quiet down and give our community a good look on the show and they all did,” Wahlen said. “It was really wonderful.”

The broadcast took place from 5:30 to 6 p.m. But at exactly 6 p.m. the crowd went wild again shouting for Obama.

While political supporters stood outside the Johnson Building, Gibson was the man of the hour inside.

Kristy O’Brien Geary works at the Main Street Johnson Bank and brought her daughter and a friend to see a local television interview with Gibson Thursday afternoon.

“See, cool things happen at mom’s work,” O’Brien Geary said.

“It helps that you work in the coolest place ever,” her daughter, 17-year-old Allison Smith, quickly replied.

When Gibson walked just a few feet away from the two girls, they stood in awe.

“It’s kind of cool he is in Racine, Wisconsin.” Smith’s friend, Sri Cainedi, 17, said.

The two girls stood inside the Johnson Building while Gibson went outside and Sri quickly shared her excitement with others.

“Hey it’s Sri,” Cainedi texted her sister during the broadcast. “Guess what I’m looking at Charles Gibson right now. Are you jealous?”

Pete Wicklund of The Journal Times contributed to this story.

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