My left shin and ankle had been caulked; my stocking was re-painted an off-white to match my right leg; and I was looking good. The timing was perfect, too. It was April 12, 2019 and as I was placed back into the camera case for the short trip to Detroit, I could feel the nervousness in the air at home. For the past several months my photographer had a ticket to the Motor City’s Fox Theater where Bill and Hillary Clinton were scheduled to speak. The event, which was going to be mediated by comedic actor Ben Stiller, was called “An Evening With The Clintons” and Tom’s ticket had our seat reserved in the second row and in the center of the stage. But there was more; and it was that additional part that made my head wiggle more than normal. It turned out that my photographer had also purchased the ‘Meet and Greet’ package where the two of us would get up close and personal with the Clintons. Tom had one goal for the night: Get Bill Clinton to hold me while he and Hillary stood next to us for the official photo that was part of the package.
Although my camera guy figured the ‘Meet and Greet’ would be held after the main event, he wanted to arrive at the Fox Theater early – primarily so he could find adequate parking and beat the crowd to retrieve his ticket from will-call. In a last moment decision, Tom’s wife bought a single “nosebleed” ticket from Mongo who was unable to attend. Vicki wasn’t as excited to see the Clintons as my photographer was, but she didn’t want him to the make the trip to Detroit and back alone. In another last second decision, just before we headed out to the Avenger, my photographer grabbed his Bill Clinton bobble head from the shelf and slid him into the camera case alongside me. Not only did that surprise me, I was upset. My first reaction was: “Was he trying to replace me with Clinton because he’s in better shape and the two of them share the same birthday.” But then I heard Tom say to his wife: “I’m going to take my Clinton bobble head along with T.J. because I have a feeling Bill’s going to ask about it. I’ll hold Clinton and the President can hold onto Jefferson during our photo-op.” Traffic was light during our 52-mile drive to ‘The Fox’; Vicki parked the Avenger in the Comerica Park lot that was located across Woodward Avenue from the theater. After I posed for a photo with the exterior of the famed Detroit landmark, Tom went inside the Fox Theater and got his ticket from will-call. Ticket in hand, the four of us were headed to Hockeytown Café for an early dinner.
Seconds after we exited the Fox Theater, I heard a woman’s voice ask my photographer: “Excuse me, did you just buy a ticket to the Clinton event?” Tom replied: “No, I already bought my ticket months ago. I was just picking it up from will-call.” That woman turned out to be WDIV’s Mara MacDonald and she asked my camera guy if he would go on television for an interview. Not one to shy away from much of anything, he agreed; and before I knew it, Tom was standing in front of the camera as he answered Mara’s questions. The Channel 4 news journalist asked: “If you get a chance to ask the Clintons anything tonight, what would you ask them?” I had to laugh to myself because Tom didn’t hesitate – which didn’t surprise me at all. He said he would ask the Clintons: “If Hillary had won in 2016, what role would Bill have played in her Presidency? And what would he have been called – the First Gentleman? He obviously couldn’t be the First Lady!” When Mara asked him about the ‘Meet and Greet’, Tom responded: “I’m a Presidential enthusiast, I travel all around the country visiting Presidential sites and to have a chance to see a President live is incredible.”
It was roughly 5:15pm when we finished dinner and returned to the Fox Theater. By that time, hundreds of people had gathered outside and dozens more were standing inside the building. The people who were in the lobby were folks who had ‘Meet and Greet’ tickets, which was where my photographer went with Bill and I in the camera bag. Vicki was forced to stand in line outside of the theater as that group waited for the doors to open. We waited for about 15 minutes before our group was ushered through the Secret Service scanning station and then into the theater’s seating area. Even though I’ve been scrutinized by the Secret Service in the past, they still made me nervous. I didn’t know for sure if they would allow me into the same building as the President; but if the “Men in Black” would’ve pulled the plug on my visit, Tom would’ve been forced to take me and Bill back to the Avenger. Luckily, that didn’t happen.
The next 45 minutes was a case of hurry up and wait. By listening to my photographer’s conversation with the guy seated next to him, I could tell that he was growing irritated with the confusion and delay. “If the show is supposed to start at seven-thirty, then we aren’t going to have much time with the Clintons,” Tom said to the fellow Clinton fan. “It’s nearly seven o’clock and we aren’t close to heading backstage yet.” Finally, at about 7:15pm, we were asked to get in line for the final approach to the back stage area where the Clintons were meeting people. As we got closer, one of the security guards stated that purses, bags, and backpacks would not be allowed into the room. When Tom heard the rules, he simply pulled Bill and I out of the camera bag and held us in his hands as we got closer. At the entrance to the ‘Meet and Greet’ area, which was heavily guarded by Secret Service, my photographer placed the camera case onto the table and waited for our turn to meet Bill and Hillary. Just when we were ready to walk into the room, I heard the bad news: “You can’t take those in there with you; personal items are not allowed. Put them on the table.” At that moment, I heard Tom plead his case and I knew he was on the verge of a COBS (Crabby Old Bastard Syndrome) flareup: “I’m not trying to get the bobble heads signed. I just want them in my picture with the President – it’s very important to me.” That was followed by a stern rebuttal: “We just told you to leave them on the table out here. No personal items are allowed inside.” Sure enough, Tom’s COBS kicked in: “Taking the bobble head in for the photo was the only reason I bought the ‘Meet and Greet’ in the first place. Had I known the bobble head wouldn’t be allowed in, I wouldn’t have wasted $500 to have it sit on the table. Thanks for ruining the entire night for me.” After he placed Bill and I back into the camera bag that was already on the table, Tom went in to meet the Clintons. Although I could barely see him from the opening in the camera bag, I could hear my photographer as he met the former President and Secretary of State. “Nice to meet you Mr. President. I wanted to tell you that you and I share the same birthday, August 19th. We are exactly ten years apart – you were born in 1946 and I was born in ’56.” After Tom shook President Clinton’s hand, Bill replied in his semi-hoarse voice: “Well, you definitely wear it better than I do.” My camera man was positioned between Bill and Hillary, and seconds after he put his arm around both, the professional photographer captured their image for posterity. As Tom moved in front of Mrs. Clinton to shake her hand, he said to her: “Congratulations Hillary on your grandchildren and good luck for the one on the way. I have four grandchildren of my own and they are so amazing.” I think Hillary was impressed that my photographer knew that Chelsea was expecting to give birth to her third child in July. As Hillary looked at Tom, a huge smile came across her face: “Thank you so much. Aren’t grandchildren just wonderful? Ours are the joy of Bill’s and my life and we love being with them.”
After Tom’s 45 seconds with the Clintons was finished, he headed back to the table to pick Bill and I up before he walked to his second row seat in front of the stage. It wasn’t too long after we sat down that the ‘Evening with the Clintons’ began when Ben Stiller walked onto the stage with Bill and Hillary. What my photographer and I enjoyed most about the program was the fact that it wasn’t a hard question and answer session about politics; nor was it a Trump bashing event either. It was a conversation between the three of them that included the Clinton’s watching James Holzhauer as he demolished ‘Jeopardy’ records. But what stole the show for me was when Stiller asked Bill Clinton a simple question: “Was it fun being President?” Clinton hesitated for nearly ten seconds and then answered “Yes!” The crowd erupted into laughter; mainly because of the hesitation and the tone in Clinton’s voice. I knew that my photographer was itching to capture a photo of me with the Clintons in the background, but not only was the audience drilled of the ‘No Photography’ rule; two Secret Service agents stood on both sides of the stage and glared at us. The damned Secret Service prevented me from meeting Bill and Hillary during the ‘Meet and Greet’ session and then they prevented me from being photographed with the Clintons during the show. Perhaps someday those darn “Protectors of the President” will realize that I’m harmless; plus I try to keep the historical focus and facts alive for each Chief Executive with my personal tribute.
Although I never had my photo taken with the Clintons, I did get the chance to stand on the same stage minutes after they had left. That’s more than the Bill Clinton bobble head got to do; he stayed in the camera case and never said a word.
Tom carried Bill and me into the Fox Theater lobby where we rendezvoused with Vicki. During the entire ride home, I heard my photographer and his wife discuss the evening’s show and their thoughts about Bill and Hillary. While the discussion portion of the night’s show was really good, I still couldn’t forgive the Secret Service for them denying me the chance to meet Bill and Hillary Clinton. I know in my resin-filled heart that they would’ve loved me and likely would want to hear about my travels. Perhaps someday I will get a chance to meet a President; and perhaps that chance would come in less than a month when my photographer and his friend Bob Moldenhauer had planned to embark on a ten-day Presidential journey. That May trip was scheduled to be the most Presidential-filled, action-packed, history-lovin’, balls-to-the-wall Presidential tour that my photographer has ever taken me on. And the most intriguing part? I would finally get to pose for photos inside the White House; that is unless the Secret Service dash my dreams – again!
