Politico had a beautiful and perfect story late Tuesday about preparations for the next Republican debate, taking place Wednesday night in Boulder, Colorado. Every campaign got a “greenroom” to prepare, or, in the case of Chris Christie and Rand Paul, something that looks a lot like a repurposed toilet. Sometimes metaphors are too on-the-nose, you know?
According to the Politico report, Paul and Christie’s campaigns were fuming at the Republican National Committee for a debate setup that gave higher-polling candidates some slightly better backstage waiting areas: Trump had a giant sofa. Carly Fiorina had a room with a Jacuzzi in it. And their guys, polling right near the bottom, had, um, something else:
The drama began Tuesday afternoon as RNC officials led campaigns on a walk-through of the debate site. After touring the stage, candidates got a peek at what their greenrooms looked like.
Trump was granted a spacious room, complete with plush chairs and a flat-screen TV. Marco Rubio got a theater-type room, packed with leather seats for him and his team of aides. Carly Fiorina’s room had a Jacuzzi.
Then there was Chris Christie, whose small space was dominated by a toilet. So was Rand Paul’s.
Chris Christie’s campaign manager Ken McKay is said to have fumed, “This is ridiculous. We’re in a restroom.” And a Rand Paul adviser, Chris LaCivita, took it all to Twitter: