Last year, junior Glen Roth knew he wasn't going to come back to campus in the fall, but he did think he'd be going back to school. Roth had been enrolled in an abroad program in Paris, and was considering spending some time on foreign shores. By the end of the summer, however, this political junkie found himself not on a left bank caf?©, but instead in the heat of Al Gore's campaign. The excitement of campaigning and a surprising job offer convinced him that an election year wasn't the best time to jump ship and leave the country.
If you're politically inclined, you might know where Al Gore campaigned yesterday; Roth made his hotel reservations there. You might have seen a news clip of Gore riding through the streets of his hometown; Roth was in the motorcade. You've certainly seen the Democratic candidate's face in the papers; Roth shook his hand. As an intern and now as a paid staffer, Roth is involved in making campaign decisions and plotting the strategies that we see play themselves out on the campaign trail each and every day.
"The best part about my job is being at ground zero, where some of the major decisions about this campaign are made," he said. That's why he left his home in the nation's capital and moved to Nashville, Tenn., the campaign's headquarters.
Landing a position as the Gore advance team's personal travel agent, Roth spent his days on the phone booking hotels and transportation for the Gore team. The nine-to-five jobs his friends had over the summer paled in comparison to the 13-hour workdays Roth was experiencing. Though Roth's days were relentless, he got used to the daily grind.
"I can't imagine growing tired of any job soon, after getting used to this schedule of about 80 hours a week," Roth said.
As the summer months wore on, Roth witnessed firsthand the events that would lead tomorrow's paper. He had a front-row seat at the rally where Gore named Joseph Lieberman his running mate. He found himself schmoozing with the likes of Donna Brazile, Gore's campaign advisor.
As the August Democratic National Convention grew near, Roth's political classroom was on the move. The Gore camp was setting up shop at the Biltmore, a premiere Los Angeles hotel, and nothing was going to come between Roth and a ticket to the "City of Angels."
Securing a position in the makeshift Los Angeles office, the ambitious intern got himself a plane ticket to Cali. Little did he know that he would not be traveling to this Democratic extravaganza as a meager intern. By convention time, he would be a full-fledged staff member.
Notice of his newly appointed position presented a mixed bag of sorts. While Roth was flattered and thrilled to be offered such a coveted spot, he knew that taking this job would complicate and eventually change the plans he made for his junior year.
Though Roth was ready to take Paris by storm - he had planned on being abroad for the year - he had to reconsider, especially after the Gore Campaign made him an offer he could not refuse. Roth was not slated to be just any staff member; he was to be assistant to Ron Klain, the chief of the War Room, the hub of the candidate's operation.
"[I like] seeing decisions being made and getting to know the people making them," Roth said. This job offered him the perfect place to be; but it also meant he couldn't be in Paris.
Like a true politician, Roth decided that his decision warranted a meeting with advisors. Roth immediately phoned his family and friends and eventually returned home to hash out the issue with his chiefs-of-staff: his parents.
After a weekend of intense discussion, he returned to Nashville with a decision. Though he was hesitant to lose even a portion of his abroad experience, he realized that it was possible to get the best of both worlds. "It came down to one question: If I can do both, seeing the campaign through to the election and go to Paris, why not?"
Parisian nights will have to wait until second semester, for now, Roth is using the campaign trail as his classroom. And he has a heavy workload.
"The environment is very consuming. We work hard all day, then go out and talk about work," Roth said.
Although his days are long and tiring, Roth finds the day-to-day work very exciting. Being firmly planted in Gore territory is a great learning experience, he attests.
He knows his current position could have a significant impact on his political career as well. But for the time being he's not thinking about that. His hard work as an intern paid off for him, but the bigger reward is that it will pay off for Gore's campaign - and the new staffer missed no opportunity to spread his man's message. "I'm here cause I believe Al Gore is the only candidate who will work to bring more to people with less. It's that simple."
