I have increasingly become a political junkie over the past ten years. In fact, since college, I’ve noticed that my Sunday leisure time watching the NFL has gradually been displaced by time spent keeping up with team “players” of national politics.  It’s Meet the Press and all the other Sunday shows every week. When big issues reach the committees and subcommittees on Capitol Hill, I’m there watching and reading. I just weaned myself off of C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on a daily basis after years and cut it down to maybe twice per week.
So covering a rally for Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain Monday at the New Town development in St. Charles, Missouri, seemed like covering an NFL game. The people I’ve watched on television and read about over the years were up close and in person.  After McCain’s rally speech, I saw two of the “players” of the party on the sidelines of the event. They had granted a quick interview to KMOV-TV news photographer Scott Thomas.

As Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond stood with him (on right), former Missouri Sen. John Danforth (center) was quite relaxed and seemed to really enjoy giving his take on the current political climate and his candidate, McCain.
The portion I heard didn’t sound like the uniform, rigid interview that featured a regurgitated list of the latest talking points that both sides usually employ.  Danforth, a senator who has always commanded respect from both sides of the aisle, had a particular demeanor that caught my attention.
Relaxed, amiable, non-combative and leaning comfortably against a street sign while on television, Danforth appeared outside the standard in my view…especially in the last two weeks of a heated presidential campaign.

It was refreshing.