The 2024 vice presidential candidates this week have separately participated in a decades-old campaign tradition: answering questions from their traveling press corps written on an orange that’s rolled up the aisle to the front of their campaign planes.
Gov. Tim Walz’s press corps was first to resume the tradition, which can be traced back to the 1990s, but their lighthearted question wasn’t answered until about a day and a half later.
As Walz was on his flight to the West Coast Sunday, a CBS News reporter rolled their question, written in black marker, forward at about 1:10 p.m. CT: “DREAM DINNER GUEST?”
Gov. Tim Walz’s press corp rolled an orange with a question on it asking who his dream dinner guest is.
Tim Walz Travel Press Pool
The press was told the fruit made its way about halfway to its destination before another passenger helped get it to the front of the aircraft. It was not rolled back with an answer that night.
The next day, the question had still not been answered. One Walz staffer told the press he thought it was a good question. Another said the governor was mulling it over.
Then, on Monday night around midnight PST, the orange was returned to the press. The answer was Bruce Springsteen, who recently endorsed the Kamala Harris-Walz ticket.
When Sen. JD Vance’s embedded reporters saw on social media what their counterparts on the Walz plane had done, they knew they had to partake.
Sen. JD Vance’s travel press corp rolled an orange with a question on it asking him what his favorite song was.
Hannah Demissie/ABC News
Flying from his campaign event in Detroit on Tuesday afternoon, Vance’s travel press agreed to write the following question on their orange: “FAVE SONG?”
When CNN attempted and failed to roll the orange up to Vance, ABC stepped in and successfully rolled the orange up to Vance’s cabin, passing Vance’s Secret Service detail and staff, leading several of them to question whether or not they just saw an orange roll past them.
Within minutes, Vance rolled the orange back, with the answer Led Zeppelin’s “Ten Years Gone.”
In recent years, there has been a revival of tradition in the world of political journalism, particularly when it comes to covering presidential campaigns. One such tradition that has made a comeback is the practice of having a dedicated press corps travel with candidates on their campaign planes. This tradition, popularized by journalists like Vance and Walz, has become a staple of modern political reporting.
Vance and Walz, two veteran journalists with decades of experience covering presidential campaigns, have become synonymous with the concept of the press corps on campaign planes. Their dedication to providing in-depth and insightful coverage of candidates on the campaign trail has made them trusted voices in the world of political journalism.
The idea of having a dedicated press corps on campaign planes dates back to the early days of presidential campaigning, when journalists would travel alongside candidates to provide real-time updates and analysis to their readers. This practice fell out of favor in recent years as candidates began to rely more on social media and other forms of digital communication to reach voters.
However, Vance and Walz saw the value in bringing back this tradition and have worked tirelessly to make it a reality. By traveling with candidates on their campaign planes, they are able to provide a unique perspective on the highs and lows of the campaign trail, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of a presidential campaign.
Having a dedicated press corps on campaign planes also allows for more in-depth reporting on the issues that matter most to voters. Vance and Walz are able to ask candidates tough questions and hold them accountable for their actions, providing a level of transparency that is often lacking in modern political reporting.
In addition to their reporting duties, Vance and Walz also serve as a bridge between the candidates and the public, helping to humanize the often-sterile world of presidential campaigning. By sharing personal anecdotes and insights from their time on the campaign trail, they are able to connect with readers on a deeper level, making the political process more relatable and accessible.
Overall, the revival of tradition in the form of Vance and Walz’s press corps on campaign planes is a welcome development in the world of political journalism. By providing in-depth coverage, holding candidates accountable, and humanizing the campaign process, they are helping to ensure that voters are informed and engaged in the democratic process.
