Various political geeks and some news media colleagues who were watching the debate on line through a live feed from the SFCC theater knew something that neither I nor live audience knew: In the minutes before the event started, the online camera feed was showing me backstage, where the microphone was live. 

Some assumed – correctly – that I wasn’t paying attention to the live mic, and were waiting to see if I’d utter some inappropriate expletive or knock over a water bottle as the podiums were moved into place and wires taped down. 

Only by the grace of God, I did not.

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