Tuesday, June 5, 2007

How would you use "W"? And would you pardon Scooter?

WMUR's Scott Spradling asked the 10 men on stage how they would use former President George W. Bush during their administration. The first to answer that question was Former Cabinet member Tommy Thompson for Bush's first term he said he "Would not send Bush to the UN." The crowd roared in laughter and Thompson fired an ear to ear grin to the crowd, clearing getting the response he was looking for.

The same question was asked the other night to the Democrats and Hillary Clinton was asked how she would use her former husband. Her response was more or less humorous saying she would "Send him over seas to use his diplomatic skill and charm."

The 10 candidates were also asked if they would pardon Scooter Libby for his crimes and none of them said they would. Rudy said he would want to wait on the case repeal, and drew out a long winded answer to a yes or no question. The rest of the candidates who responded all had similar answers.

The Press Photography Pool

Being part of the Press Photography Pool this week has been enjoyable for the NH Presidential Debates. Prior to the start of the republican debate all the still photographers gathered in the press filing center and were briefed about the details of our time on the debate floor. After waiting for the word to move and board a bus, we were taken to the arena where the debate was to soon begin.

Once through the back entrance Secret Service instructed us to place our cameras in row on the floor, dogs then sniffed the equipment for anything suspicious. Once cleared, we lined up behind the set and waited patiently to make our way to the front of the stage. When we got the okay to move, everyone in the press pool rushed to find a location to take our photographs from. I planned on stationing myself to the far left of the stage; I wanted a picture that would capture all the candidates standing together in a wide angle profile photo. As I now stood waiting for the debate to begin I scouted the set for familiar faces, Rich Ashooh, Kristen Nevious, Myron Kandall, Wolf Blitzer, Scott Spradling, Anderson Cooper and others could be found.

Finally the Republican Presidential Candidates were announced and welcomed onto the stage. All I could hear was the sound of shutters from the dozens of cameras clicking away to capture a money shot that'll make tomorrow's front page news. Then it was time to move and rush away from the stage for the debate to begin. Our time there was quick, but our job was done and we the photography press pool have our photos to show for it.

Inside the crowds...

"I'D LIKE TO GO TO AFGHANISTAN! PULL BIN LADEN OUT OF HIS CAVE! AND SHOOT HIM MYSELF!" cried a Rudy Guiliani supporter while arguing with one of Rep. Ron Paul's constitutes.

One thing that is certainly interesting about this crowd is that it appears to be more divided than the crowd of democrats that occupied the same space on Sunday, is that, this crowd, even though it is supposed to be aligned on the issues, is very divided.

While standing between Ron Paul and Rudy Guiliani's supporters, I witnessed several heated exchanges that almost got physical. On the other side of the area, we ran into Franklin Pierce Junior, and member of FPC College Republicans, Brandon Mancusso. Mancusso was holding a Mitt Romney sign high in the air and proudly cheering for his candidate. Last time we had spoken to Mancusso he had not committed to a candidate. I (Justin Martell) asked him what had happened in these few short weeks to cause him to commit to former Massachusetts Governor Romney, Mancusso explained:

"The last debate really showed that Romney was the candidate for me. I was leaning towards Rudy, but he has really stepped it up recently. He has the right approach to the economy, the war on terror, and the war in Iraq, which are the most important issues on the table today."

As stated in previous Blogs, the Ron Paul presence is very surprising. There were literally hundreds of people cheering for Paul. "WE'RE NOT JUST THE INTERNET!" is the slogan that can be heard above the entire crowd, which is clearly the Paul base responding to the FOX News' claim that Ron Paul is, "only popular on the internet." They also held signs that read, "Vote Yes for Dr. No," clearly making a joke out of the fact that the Ron Paul's nickname on Capital Hill is "Dr. No" because he is notorious for voting "No" to virtually everything that goes through congress.

All of the candidates seemed to be well represented except for three, who haven't organized their New Hampshire campaigns yet; Tommy Thompson, Jim Gilmore, and Duncan Hunter.

Protests...foder for election entertainment.

As time leads up to the start of the debate I scouted out the campus with a video camera in hand to get some video. While shooting video of the buildings and media reporting, I heard voices traveling across the Saint Anselm College campus towards me. The noise was getting louder and louder so I decided to see for myself what was going on. About 100 meters away from the Sullivan Arena entrance I saw a massive crowd of protesters chanting.

"Rudy, Rudy, Rudy," people screamed as I approached the crowd. Every republican candidate was well represented by supporters of their campaign. Signs for Mitt Romney attached to poles were raised high. I took the ENG camera I had in hand and began filming, "We're not just the internet" was chanted from one end of the crowd that stood behind yellow police tape. At the other end of the crowd people cried out "Stop the war now!" Organization for many different types of nationwide issues were there to make their mark, people supporting education, healthcare and immigration reform had gathered with their signs.

These people here didn't just want to be seen, they wanted to be heard and as audience members attending tonight's event walked by, they took notice.

The Elephants, I mean Republicans are on stage!

Well dinner is done, and I’m ready to blog!

Republican candidates have likely completed their walk through. The Donkeys finished their debating on Sunday night. One may say Hillary was the victor, some say Mike Gravel is going to be the last one standing for his comment on english being the official language of the United States, but many say Barack Obama and his leadership will lead him into the White House. Some are saying that Kucinich, Biden, and Dodd have all helped there reputations by speaking out. However some of the Democratic candidates for our nations highest office barked at the people in charge of the debates because they didn’t get enough time on camera, and not a fair amount of time to voice their feelings, messages and opinions.

Tonight the Republicans will take to the glass podiums. Expect a big night from Congressmen Ron Paul of Texas, and Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado. Tancredo is well represented in the free speech zone outside of the Sullivan Arena. Tancredo's people have littered the Manchester area with Tancredo signs. Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter another Republican Candidate have set Immigration and Border Control respectively as their issues to depend on. Most recently Hunter voted yes on a bill that would provide funding in Iraq without setting withdrawal deadlines for troops

Ron Paul seems to be well supported here in Manchester outside of the debate hall in the free speech area. Paul will likely use his words tonight to silence those critiques who say he is solely supported on the internet. Paul supports lowering taxes, and worries about our nation’s debt. Paul also stresses personal liberties and privacy and stated – we as a nation need to, "drastically limit the ability of government to collect and store data regarding citizens’ personal matters."

Arizona Senator John McCain will take part in the debate tonight from Manchester. The Senator has a strong stance on the war in Iraq, and believes we must remain in Iraq. McCain’s website states, "A greater military commitment now is necessary if we are to achieve long-term success in Iraq." McCain was a POW during the Vietnam War. In 2000 McCain ran for the presidential nomination. McCain is setting his issues on the war in Iraq, Government spending and fiscal discipline, also included veterans benefits as a top issue.

Tommy Thompson is a strong advocate of the war in Iraq. Governor Thompson believes, "the debate over short-term military solutions and defunding of the troops’ mission is shortsighted and counterproductive." Thompson argues that the United States should rebuild Iraq, with strong economic and political infrastructures.

Below is a list of the 10 candidates taking part –
Duncan Hunter, California Congressman
Mitt Romney, Former Massachusetts Governor
John McCain, Arizona Senator
Rudy Giuliani, Former NYC Mayor
Ron Paul, Texas Congressman
Tom Tancredo, Colorado Congressman
Sam Brownback, Kansas Senator
Mike Huckabee, Arkansas Governor
Jim Gilmore, Former Virginia Governor
Tommy Thompson, Lawyer, Businessman

We are about 20 minutes away from the debate going live around the country. Enjoy our blogs over the next few hours. Frank Blais and Eric Jackman are in the debate hall now and will be returning with pictures of the candidates at the podiums soon! You don’t want to miss those historical photos.

TORNADO WARNING IN MANCHESTER-CNN

Here in Manchester as we await the Republican Presidential Debates we are under a Tornado warning. We learned of this news moments ago as CNN came across with the bulletin saying the Manchester, NH area was under a Tornado warning.

Currently, we are located inside the press filing center awaiting a security sweep by the local authorities and secret service. While we are under the Tornado warning we also remain under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning we are told this storm is capable of producing nickel size hail. The storm is moving northeast at 30 mph.

The National Weather Service in Taunton, Ma is saying "this is a dangerous storm. If you are in its path... prepare immediately for damaging winds... destructive hail... and deadly cloudto ground lightning. People outside should move to a shelter... preferably inside a strong building but away from windows."

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 700 PM, Tuesday evening for our area. Just in time to start the debates!

First Impressions Part Two...


As we were leaving the college on Sunday night, the area was littered with signs for the Democratic Candidates. On our way in today, the scene has changed...

Lining the roads for a few miles around the campus are signs for Rudy, Romney, and surprisingly there is an abundance of Tom Tancredo signs. After speaking with Tancredo's New Hampshire coordinator on Sunday, it appears that Rep. Tancredo (who is currently listed at 5% in the polls) has organized a grassroots effort in New Hampshire that seems as though it's going to be a force to be reckoned with in the next few months.

Eric and I took a walk down to the "free speech zone," and the masses have not turned out for their candidates yet. In the next few hours we'll see if New Hampshire's conservative base isn't afraid to get a little wet in the rain while supporting their candidates.

NEW!!! Franklin Pierce, WBZ TV Poll

The buzz is amazing across the nation after the latest Democratic debates that took place on Sunday at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. Some say Senator Clinton was a clear winner because her polling numbers are now up, according to a Franklin Pierce College/WBZ TV poll run by R. Kelly Myers, Senior Fellow at the Fitzwater Center for Communication.

"Senator Hillary Clinton has opened a much larger lead over her Democratic rivals. Just 3 months ago, Clinton held a 7-point lead over her closest challenger, Senator Barack Obama (25%)," Myers said.

The Franklin Pierce/WBZ poll is telling political analysts that Clinton attracted the support of 38 percent of Democratic primary voters after her strong performance in the debate, which is more than twice the level of support held by her closest challenger, Obama, at 16 percent.

CNN released these numbers following the Democratic Debates... Clinton got the second most face time in the election with 14:26 minutes and 15 questions. I think it shows that Clinton's performance was the key to her "victory." Obama had the most face time with 16:00 minutes, and 16 questions.

Some might say Mike Gravel won, because he went in as a "nobody," and came out getting his name and more importantly his message out to a national audience. With all due respect to the former Alaskan Senator, a good chunk of the voting population around the United States, and here in New Hampshire, didn't know who he was prior to the debate. When Franklin Pierce Polling asked voters who won the debate, or performed better than the other candidates, Gravel's percentage remained at 0%, showing that selected voters were not happy with his performance.

Also look for Senator Joe Biden's numbers to be on the rise along with Senator Chris Dodd's. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's favorability rating is on the rise. Richardson's net favorability rating has improved, from 17 to 41 percent in the past three months. These numbers are according to the Franklin Pierce Poll.
Check out the latest polling numbers from Franklin Pierce and WBZ TV Boston at Franklin Pierce College's website -http://www.fpc.edu, and at WBZ TV's Website.

Sunday, June 3, 2007

John Hopkins - Iraq-specific debate

Leading Democratic candidates for President have turned down an invitation to attend an Iraq-specific debate sponsored by Financial Times and the Center on Politics and Foreign Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). The debate is scheduled for June 6th. The debate would allow for a real debate on Iraq that will allow for more than sixty-second sound bites.

Tonight, the Dodd Campaign issued this statement in an email regarding the inadequate amount of time that candidates were able to speak, "Despite very real differences in the presidential candidates' positions on the critical issues facing our nation, the format of tonight's CNN debate allowed for disproportionate amounts of time for candidates to discuss their positions."

It is important to note, that the Dodd campaign has been given the opportunity to attend a debate being held at John Hopkins, but they have declined to do so. I do not have an agenda-but simply is their a reason to be complaining about the alleged disproportionate times if the opportunity to debate on the issue is there?

Senator Joe Biden is the only candidate to have accepted their invitation to discuss his plan for Iraq. When the Edwards camp in the Spin Room was asked about John Edwards not accepting the invitation, they said it likely had to do with scheduling conflicts and that you can only do so many debates in so many days. But the campaign member said that Edwards performed well enough tonight, and he would be just fine.

No Obama in spin room?

Barack did not attend tonights spin room event. According to Obama New Hampshire Press Secretary, Reid Cherlain, following the debate instead Obama stopped by an official debate watch party. The Party- Murphy's Tap Room - 494 Elm Street Manchester, NH.

Candidates stand on issues

The post debate buzz is being felt across America, here’s our take…

With the debate cut into two parts, one being the podium format with questions coming from Wolf Blitzer, and the other being town hall style with the candidates being seated, taking questions from NH voters. The majority of the questions from the audience were about the issue that seems to be at the forefront of this election, Iraq. A few of the candidates were given the opportunity to explain their plans and views on the war. Hillary, Obama, and Edwards all seemed to have a tight grasp on the air time and other candidates who had interesting views and ideas were not heard as much as the top tier candidates.

Joe Biden (who, prior to today, was at 1% in the polls) stood out amongst current members of Congress running for president in regards to the Iraq Funding Bill. Biden claimed while the troops are on the ground in Iraq he will never vote to cut their funding. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio disagreed, saying, "In order to end the war the funding must stop, we have enough in the pipeline to pack up close down the bases and bring our brave troops home." Former Senator and 2004 Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards, repeated a campaign theme of his by apologizing for his vote to authorize the war saying he was, "Wrong and lied to by President Bush." Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich both laughed in response to that statement, it seemed they both could not understand how someone could have been fooled by President Bush.

We are now one debate closer to the primary elections, and after tonight things are going to begin to heat up. There may be a clash of ideas as to how it should be done, but it’s obvious that all the candidates in the democratic field want to get out of Iraq and any candidate not named "Edwards, Hillary, and Obama" would like a little bit more air time!

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: A Transition Policy

Hillary Clinton was asked if her husband's policy was a mistake and her response was that the "Don't ask, Don't Tell" was a transition policy. Gay and lesbians serve our nation honorably in the military and they should be allowed to serve openly. Clinton spoke about Arabic linguists who were discharged for their sexuality and believes that should never have happened. It was said it does not take a straight person to shoot straight and again people in the seats clapped in support.

It was then noted New Hampshire's Governor Lynch sign legislation on Friday to make the state the fourth in the nation to legalize civil unions in keeping with anti-discrimination tradition.

When CNN moderator Wolf Blitzer asked the candidates if they would do away with the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, it was a unanimous arms raised show of hands and the arena audience erupted with applause.

Front Row Ticket to the Candidates


Standing Ovation, continuous clapping by political activists, supporters, family of the candidates and many more is the sign of respect that Democratic Candidates for highest office in our nation received. Frank Blais and I were in the Sullivan Arena when the candidates entered the arena to a standing ovation. Right against the stage with photographers from the Union Leader, South Africa, Reuters, Associated Press and other news outlets.

In order came the big three, Edwards, Clinton, and Obama.

Snapping photos with a film camera, and digital camera, we were rushed in and rushed out, as we captured history. In attendance, political activist Dorris "Granny D" Haddock who was seated in the same row that was reserved for candidate Gravel's supporters, Elizabeth Kucinich the wife of Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich, and New Hampshire Governor John Lynch.

Guests from Franklin Pierce that Frank and I could see -Franklin Pierce Alum Julianna Spence, and Franklin Pierce staff member Bill Beardslee.


... More to come!


Weather Is Not Deterring Campaign Supporters...


The weather is dismal, but the attitudes of concerned citizens and political activists are not. Many people have assembled outside the debate arena to show their support for their candidates and voice their concerns on issues from healthcare to immigration.

While we traveled through the crowd, we were able to talk to the different groups that were present:

"I'm supporting Dennis Kucinich because of his department of peace! Kucinich wants to be a healer; he wants the U.S. to lead whole working together with other countries. He has also never gone back on his original vote against the war." - Eileen Lee, New Hampshire

"I agree with John Edwards on the war and his thoughts on Health Care. I think people will be attracted to him because the last election has made him a familiar face." - Pat Hosker, New Hampshire

Just then, a group of Hillary Clinton supporters attempted to cover up a series of Edwards '08 signs with Hillary signs. The Edwards supporters told them to "get lost." I (Justin Martell) then asked the crowd, "I take it you guys don't like that?" "NO!" they yelled back.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a sea of Dodd constituents entered the scene:

"WHO DO WE WANT FOR PRESIDENT? CHRIS DODD!"

It was surprising to see so much support for a lower tier candidate. One of his supporters had this to say:

"He's the best candidate for president. I like his policy ideas for Iraq, the environment, and global warming...he's also very charismatic." - Steve, Connecticut

Lastly, we spoke to a young girl who is working on the Biden campaign:

"Joe Biden has the best plan for Iraq and good experience with foreign policy." - Sarah, Delaware

Some of the other groups that were present were Healthcare, Education, Peace and 9/11 Truth groups. Despite the rain, everyone is very enthused about their causes, and anxious for the debates to begin.

Behind the Scene at the New Hampshire Presidential Debate

SEXY, is the word I'd use to describe the NH Debate set built in Sullivan Arena here in Manchester New Hampshire. Giant illuminated cubes stacked up on each other create an image to display the presidential seal on a posh blue carpeted stage. Red and Blue lights accented the long rows of empty seats that'll soon be filled with 300 select audience members by CNN. As I looked around the arena Mo Rocca from the Daily Show smiled for picture with an assistant just a few feet away and said "this is a picture I want on my website."

It was just thirty minutes past noon and production crews were putting the finishing touches on some lights and cameras. A team from CNN was meeting stage left discussing their plans quite intensely I could tell from the hand gestures of an executive. The space was pretty much empty except for a select group of people getting ready for tonight's event and secret service sweeping the area.

Accompanied by Steve Dodrill and Trent Spinner we walked down to the floor and onto the stage. The set is unique from any previous presidential debate because after the first hour of a moderated debate the presidential candidates will walk to the front of the stage, sit in rounded red chairs and answer select questions from the audience. A high polished red desk marked the location where panelists will contribute questions from.

The candidates are ready, the press is ready, the set is ready and soon it will be time for the debate to go live.

New Mexico Governor and Former VP Nominee wear Relaxing Attire

With nearly 6 hours until the debate, the bustle on campus is extreme. With a Secret Service sweep of the Filing Center, Debate Hall and Spin Room complete. Bring on the show. After a walkthrough of the facilities on campus, I am amazed. The Debate Hall is located in the Sullivan Arena is set up with glass podium for each of the eight candidates. Each podium is set with a chair for the candidate. The backdrop of the debate is set up with blocks, featuring logos from The Union Leader, WMUR, and CNN.

While we were in the debate hall, we caught an inside look at the production of CNN’s -The Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. Justin Martell, Frank Blais and I stopped for a quick word with Blitzer, and then met Lou Dobbs who was in the Arena doing his walk through as well.

While we were in the debate hall, we snapped pictures on stage, and of the debate set. Frank Blais and I were asked to leave the stage right after we took our pictures because Former VP nominee John Edwards would be arriving to do his walk through, and see his spot for tonight’s debate. We even snapped a few pictures of Edwards and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as they walked about at separate times.

We over heard the placement of the candidates while we were on the debate hall floor. The podium Frank and I stood at in the picture to the right allegedly is Governor Bill Richardson’s, we will have to wait and see when the debate gets underway at 7pm, on WMUR Channel 9 in New Hampshire, and CNN Across the country.

Former VP nominee Edwards and Governor Richardson both were wearing their relaxing attire. It looked from our vantage point on the ‘political catwalk’ just above the seating bowl that Governor Richardson was spotting some type of sweat suit, and Edwards was wearing jeans, and a white dress shirt with a blue blazer. Both seemed very relaxed. Governor Richardson seemed too joked with the staff on the debate floor, and looked like he was very attentive when hearing more in-depth about what will happen at tonight’s debate.

Interestingly enough with political candidates being in the same building, we had no trouble getting into the debate hall, we walked right through the metal detectors that beeped as we went through. No one asked questions but as the afternoon went on security became even tighter. After a security sweep we were asked to leave the filing center at 2 p.m. and could not come back until 3 p.m.

I had some time to kill, my self, Eric Jackman, and Justin Martell met with Carl Cameron, Chief Political Correspondent for Fox News, and talked with him about the New Hampshire Primary being first in the nation, he supported the First in the Nation Primary, and backed it up with numbers.

Still had time to kill so I walked the Saint Anselm Campus with recent Franklin Pierce grad, and new Union Leader Reporter, Trent Spiner. Trent and I agreed it was a beautiful campus although the weather wasn’t perfect we had a slight drizzle, it was cloudy, cold and raw.

It’s going to start heating up, here at Saint Anselm. For now, I’m off to get footage of the campus and head into the spin room.

Candidates Are In Good Spirits!


Martell: Hey Senator!

Sen. Edwards: Hey Guys! You want a picture?

Jackman: Yes we do! Are you excited about tonight?

Sen. Edwards: Oh yes! I'm very excited!

Eric and I were fortunate enough to run into John Edwards as he was getting into his van right after an interview with Wolf Blitzer. The Senator was very friendly and seemed to be excited about tonight's debate.

After leaving Senator Edwards, we made our way into Dennis Kucinich's green room. There, we were able to grab an interview with Kucinich's Director of Field Services, David Bright. "Dennis is in very good spirits, and is back in his room prepping and briefing for tonight," Bright told us, "The Cavs won last night...we win tonight." I asked Bright if he was at all put off by the fact that Kucinich is still at 2% in the polls. Chuckling he replied, "If the primary was held today...we'd lose. But when it's held, we're gonna win."

The buzz on this campus is almost indescribable. Hundreds of cameras, lights, reporters, and Secret Service agents! The general consensus is that New Hampshire's primary process, once thought to be on its way out, is just as alive as ever. We were fortunate enough to run into the Boston Globe's James Pindell, and he put it very nicely:

"A year ago people were writing off New Hampshire. They thought it wouldn't matter...this weekend proves that New Hampshire is still alive. Yesterday we had the Democratic Convention and today we have the democratic debates. On Monday and Tuesday we have two huge Republican dinners right before the Republican debates on Tuesday night. New Hampshire is clearly the center of the political universe again...a year ago people didn't think this was going to happen."


More to come...

INSIDE THE FILING CENTER, IN MANCHESTER!

Good Afternoon All!

I finally made it to Manchester! After a quick trip from Merrimack where I am staying I received my credentials from the good folks at CNN, and have settled down inside the Press Filing Center.

I was lucky enough to have a spot very close to the front of the room, and right near the entrance. As I sit here at my computer I look directly ahead at “Radio Row.” This will be used so Radio stations may broadcast live from inside the filing center. Currently XM Satellite radio and Fox News are setting up and getting ready to go live.

The sight of the Press Filing Center is nothing special, it’s simply a gymnasium. The idea behind it is amazing - spacious, stocked with plasma screen televisions and projection screens for viewing of the debate, free Wi-Fi internet connection, a power supply at every table, and dinner will be served on each night of the debates - It’ll do. The room is set up with red, white, and blue tables - 10 tables across and 12 rows front to back.

The Filing Center is located inside the Carr Center on the campus of Saint Anselm College here in Manchester, New Hampshire.

CNN representatives inside The Filing Center have said previously, they expect 500 credentialed members of the media here. If that’s the case it is going to get a little warm in this gymnasium. CNN said moments ago they are expecting about 100 international credentialed media. This shows the importance of the debates, and the interest that foreign countries have in our democracy.

Eric Jackman, and Justin Martell both class mates of mine at Franklin Pierce and Frank Blais, Fitzwater Center graduate assistant -will be here through out both debates- providing insight, their comments and experiences through out the debates here in New Hampshire.

A side note CNN Student News will present the news of these debates and free classroom materials that help to tie these political events to textbooks. Teachers, parents and students can find the CNN Student News program and its curriculum materials online at CNN.com/Education and on Headline News from Monday through Friday.

I will be in the Press Filing Center much of the afternoon. Accept to take walks around the Saint Anselm campus, check out the spin room, and to check out the debate hall. I forgot to mention for we will be having security sweeps. This event has very strict security guidelines. The Carr Center where we are located will have to be cleared out around 2 p.m. for a security sweep.

First Impressions...

We, Justin A. Martell and Eric Jackman, are currently sitting next to Steven Dodrill and Frank Blais in the Press Filing Center for the CNN Democratic Debates at St. Anselm’s College. We’re about to head into the debate hall to have a look at it. They’re flashing shots of it on the television in front of us. We have all agreed that this is very exciting and overwhelming at the same time. More updates to come…