Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner Ticket-Getters Had an In

By Nick Gevock, The Montana Standard, Butte

Apr. 6–Sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know.

Never was the old adage as true as for some of the 4,000 people who managed to snag tickets to the state’s Democratic convention Saturday in Butte.

The appearances by Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton caused the few tickets that the state party made available on the Internet to be snatched up in minutes several weeks ago.

But those interviewed for this story Saturday at the Butte Civic Center said they got the tickets through someone or some group that had party connections.

“We had all our feelers out on who would get tickets,” said Eric Lutz, a graduate student from Bozeman.

After trying unsuccessfully for 30 minutes on the state party’s Web site, Lutz got hooked up with tickets from a friend who works with Obama’s campaign.

That was pretty much the way it worked. A friend who works for the party, longtime foot soldiers for the party or an organization with longstanding ties to the party — those were often the keys to success.

Ryan Young, a 22-year-old University of Montana student, snagged a ticket through a buddy who is also president of the college Democrats.

For Richard Gobbs, a state worker in Helena and a political independent, a friend connected with Planned Parenthood helped him get in the door.

But there were exceptions: the person who managed to get online and actually score a ticket. Or at least they were able to know someone who worked the Internet and got through.

Among them was Jamie Parham, a recent graduate from Montana State University. The 23-year-old knew the right — make that the lucky — person who got through in those few minutes.

“My boss went online and was able to get them,” she said.

Reporter Nick Gevock may be reached via e-mail nick.gevock@lee.net.

—–

To see more of The Montana Standard, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.mtstandard.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Montana Standard, Butte

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.