The AFSCME presidential candidate forum in Carson City, Nevada was not a debate. Each candidate stood alone on stage, delivered a three-minute-long opening statement, sat down at a table to answer three questions from George Stephanopoulos from ABC News, then had the opportunity to deliver a closing statement for a minute.
New York Senator Hillary Clinton went just before Vilsack and there was an awkward moment at the end of her appearance when she got up from the table and walked off stage — not giving a closing statement. You could hear Vilsack backstage — because the sound guy already had Vilsack’s mic potted up on the sound system. Vilsack said to Clinton "Hello, Senator." Then there was a pause — probably as Clinton realized she’d walked off stage and was deciding whether to go back and deliver a closing statement. [Audio after the jump]
She decided not to return to the stage, and Vilsack walked out and began by telling the crowd, "I was just saying hello to Senator Clinton. That was the polite thing to do." [Listen/Download Vilsack’s remarks 10 min MP3]
About O.Kay Henderson
Kay is a founding member of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press,” and the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
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