I had the opportunity to attend the RNC convention in St. Paul last week. I was helping to shoot an upcoming documentary film called "Papers" about the challenges faced by undocumented youth when they turn 18 and are considered (illegal) adults. Learn more at www.papersthemovie.com.
On Wednesday night, GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin addressed the assembled delegates and the world, and the mood was electric. The major news outlets were crawling all over the place, and their was a great deal of coverage, particularly on CNN, MSNBC and the late night shows like The Daily Show and Leno.
While I watched the crowd rally toward fever pitch in anticipation of the grand finale of Palin's speech, I noticed what appeared to be RNC (or McCain) campaign staff, all in bright yellow caps, in the aisles around the Excel Center, working the crowd.
As I watched these folks from my balcony perch, I saw as they began to hand out large posters to the crowd, with hand written lettering saying things like "Keep America Strong' and "Hockey Moms for Palin". I watched the staffer below us hand out about a dozen of these signs, and as I scanned the stadium, I saw staffers handing them out all over the place. They were even showing the convention attendees how to wave them over their head, and when they should do it.
The staffers would motion for people to stand and clap, and even to sit back down and be quiet. The staffers in front of us were actually quite good, complete with super-animated faces and grand arm gestures, not unlike a team mascot leading 'the wave' at a major league baseball game.
The view of these waving signs gave the impression that they had been made by supporters and brought to the convention to show their 'grassroots support' for Palin and the RNC. Of course nearly all of the signs in the arena were the same signs created en masse by the campaign, and handed out to the crowd by campaign staff.
The full impact of what I was watching was driven home later that night, back at my hotel watching post convention coverage. MSNBC was playing back highlights from speeches by Romney, Gulliani, and Palin and in each speech snippet, the network would cut from the speaker out to a 'hand made' rally sign in the crowd. Problem is, the signs were 'hand made' by the campaign expressly for the purpose of the TV shots, and the entire process was engineered to feign 'grassroots' rallying for the event. Check out more photos here.
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