We covered a campaign announcement today:

Teresa Hensley ‏@VoteHensley
Big News: Today Teresa proudly accepted the endorsement of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police! [….]
8:01 PM – 20 Sep 2016

And look who was there, a tracker for the right wingnut America Rising LLC (he identified himself to us the last time we saw him):

A campaign tracker with America Rising LLC (a branch of a right wingnut opposition research entity) at a campaign announcement for Teresa Hensley, the Democratic Party nominee for Attorney General – Kansas City – September 20, 2016 [photo: Jerry Schmidt].

Dude, Ted Nugent called, he wants his shirt back.

The tracker got in the photographer’s line for his shot. Of the many things you can do to a photographer which they’ll shrug off? This isn’t one of them. Trump league. Harsh words were proffered.

Previously:

Campaign Tracker: the worst job in politics and you still have to wear a suit (March 18, 2010)

Campaign Tracker: apparently a tie is now optional working attire (September 10, 2016)

Campaign Tracker: Where’s Waldo? (September 12, 2016)

We (sort of) interviewed a campaign tracker on Saturday.

[….]
Show Me Progress: Yeah, so who are you with?
Tracker: America Rising LLC.
[….]

America Rising LLC is a for profit portion of a right wingnut political entity.

We thought the campaign tracker looked somewhat familier. We looked through our photo archives:

An America Rising LLC campaign tracker in the background [August 2016 file photo].

Roy Blunt was walking quickly – one of several frames of unsuccessful focus:

An America Rising LLC campaign tracker in the background [August 2016 file photo].

Do you think campaign trackers practice that grin, or is it a prerequisite for the job? Just asking.

Previously:

Campaign Tracker: the worst job in politics and you still have to wear a suit (March 18, 2010)

Campaign Tracker: apparently a tie is now optional working attire (September 10, 2016)

Laborers’ Local 663 hosted a meet the Democratic Party candidates event in Odessa, Missouri this afternoon. For a portion of the event a campaign tracker (with video camera) from the right wingnut America Rising LLC stood by the entrance filming.

America Rising LLC | PAC | America Rising Squared | Definers Public Affairs

….America Rising LLC and America Rising PAC were founded in Spring of 2013, in response to perceived Democratic superiority in the field of opposition research. The related but distinct corporate entities are both commonly referred to as America Rising, and the entities are often confused….

[….]

….The America Rising joint enterprise was founded as an opposition research shop described by the Wall Street Journal as “the unofficial research arm of the Republican Party.” America Rising PAC describes itself as “an organization on the right for the sole purpose of exposing the truth about Democrats through video tracking, research, and communications,” and spends its time attacking democrats, progressives and environmentalists.

America Rising co-founder Matt Rhoades previously worked for DCI Group and was Mitt Romney’s campaign manager for the Republican nominee’s failed 2012 presidential bid. America Rising’s other co-founder Joe Pounder is a long-time Republican strategist and opposition researcher, and a former research director at the Republican National Committee….

A campaign tracker with America Rising LLC (a branch of a right wingnut opposition research entity) outside an event attended by Democratic Party candidates in Odessa, Missouri – September 10, 2016.

We were there, too, so we thought we’d talk to him:

Show Me Progress: Hey, how are you doing?

Tracker: Good, how are you?

Show Me Progress: So, are you a tracker?

Tracker: Uh…yes.

Show Me Progress: Yeah, so who are you with?

Tracker: America Rising LLC.

Show Me Progress: America Rising LLC. [….] I’m with Show Me Progress. Okay. So do you, do you go around to different Democratic events or are you following a particular candidate? [pause – blank grin on the face of the tracker] You don’t, yeah, they’re, they don’t want you to talk about it. [….] Well, have fun, whatever.

Tracker: Yeah, enjoy the event. [crosstalk] Heh.

Show Me Progress: Yeah. [raise camera for photo, tracker raises video camera] Yeah, go ahead and, and track, that’s awesome. [shutter click] Have a good day.

Tracker: You, too, sir.

Whatever they’re paying their trackers isn’t enough. Trackers should organize for better pay, better working conditions, health benefits and retirement. That tracking stuff probably gets old really fast.

Previously:

Campaign Tracker: the worst job in politics and you still have to wear a suit (March 18, 2010)