After this week, I've got a pretty good idea what it's like to be in a herd.

After this week, I've got a pretty good idea what it's like to be in a herd.
That's because I've covered the Mahoning Valley visits of the two leading Democratic presidential candidates -- U.S. Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards -- as well as a campaign stop by Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.
Each visit was a separate adventure, none particularly pleasant.
I'll start with Kerry's visit Tuesday.
I was given instructions by Kerry's staff to show up at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna at 10 a.m. to get checked out by the Secret Service, something that wasn't required of the Heinz Kerry or Edwards visits.
I thought this was strange because Kerry's events were in Struthers, a good 30-minute drive from the airport. I thought I'd get credentials, go back to the office and meet up with him at 1:15 p.m. in Struthers.
Kerry's campaign had other plans. I got to the airport a few minutes before 10 a.m. and was told to wait in the passenger area, and then later in the airport's former restaurant. I did, for nearly three hours.
His plane landed at 12:40 p.m. The local press saw the plane land, but never saw Kerry get out. That's because we were then told to go to the lobby while his plane was on the ground, then quickly told to go back to where we were, and then told to get out of there immediately so we could join the motorcade.
Kerry's campaign specifically asked for the worst-looking, gutted-out former steel mill near Astro Shapes, where he gave his speech. CASTLO officials came through with flying colors. They selected the former Youngstown Sheet & amp; Tube Struthers Works facility.
After Kerry's speech at Astro Shapes, his handlers said the local media could have a few minutes with the candidate. Originally, the TV reporters were going to get one-on-ones and then the local radio and newspaper reporters would speak to him briefly as a group.
Thankfully, the TV reporters didn't like that idea, and Kerry's campaign people were agreeable to having all the local media together for a press conference.
The main provision was we were allowed to ask him only one question each, and we had to be standing in the order in which the questions would be asked. We did that, but not moving twice, and waiting nearly 45 minutes.
Edwards' visit was no more pleasant.
He came Sunday to the Valley, first to speak to locked-out RMI Titanium Co. workers in Weathersfield, and then to the Teamsters hall in Youngstown for a rally. That was unusual for many reasons: the Teamsters endorsed Kerry, the hall holds no more than 200 people comfortably, and there is little parking near it.
As I drove past the Teamsters hall on my way to RMI, I noticed that nearly every parking spot was filled even though Edwards wasn't expected there for an additional two hours. I decided to cut my losses and skip RMI and go to the hall. Of course Edwards was behind schedule so I was in the hall nearly three hours before he showed up.
During that time, I was moved by Edwards' handlers six times, and heard nearly every song ever sung by John Mellencamp about five times. The sound people at the hall were given three Mellencamp CDs and told to play only them, and to crank up "Small Town" when Edwards arrived. They followed those orders.
Edwards' people seemed genuinely surprised that I requested an interview. One handler asked another one what they should do about the "pencil" wanting to interview Edwards. (Don't these people know most reporters use pens?)
I got to interview Edwards, but there were some provisions. The local TV people got one-on-ones with him first while I, and the rest of the pencils, had to do it as a group. The pencils were moved four other times before our brief time with Edwards.
At least I got that. Heinz Kerry answered three of my questions -- the answer to one of them was "well, um" -- before I was shooed away because she was going on live with a couple of local TV stations at 6 p.m.
I wasn't too upset. After hearing her speak in a near-comatose voice, I didn't expect anything more intelligible than "well, um."