Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski Agence France-Presse US President Joe Biden addresses a crowd holding “WE ♥ JOE” signs during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Monday.
Ashley Parker – The Washington Post in Chicago
Published at 12:00 am
- United States
Shelia Smoot leads the Alabama delegation's placard choreography like a drill sergeant.
“Jill is coming — ‘Jill’ signs, please!” she says, turning to her state delegation seated in the United Center seats and waving a forest-green sign with a single word — “JILL” — in honor of the first lady. “‘Jill’ signs! Take the ‘Jill’ signs!” »
Then, when Jill Biden took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, Smoot and her fellow Alabama delegates joined the entire amphitheater in a massive, placard-waving display.
« JILL » « JILL » « JILL »
Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast Associated Press
A meticulously planned operation
At the opening of the Democratic convention in Chicago this week, signs emblazoned with slogans appeared, seemingly effortlessly, as a backdrop to a long line of speakers.
A Pro-American Speech ? Blue and red “USA” signs filled the stands. A surprise appearance by Vice President Kamala Harris ? Her slogan “We Fight, We Win” materialized, perched high above the crowd. And when Shawn Fain, the head of the United Auto Workers union, took the stage ? A sea of “UNION YES!” signs appeared.
The synchronization was the result of a meticulously planned operation that began weeks before the convention, with preapproved designs sent to a single, longtime vendor, and continued through the end of the evening, when nearly 300 volunteers lined the aisles of the United Center, handing out the appropriate signs at the appropriate time.
A “floor visibility” team helped coordinate the use of the signs during the convention, from printing, assembly and distribution to coordinating which signs delegates would use and when, said a person familiar with the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to divulge secret details about the convention’s inner workings.
Shelly Loos has been leading the Democratic convention sign operations for nearly 30 years (since Bill Clinton's reelection in 1996), and this year's convention features tens of thousands of signs, some of which were assembled by workers from the International Union of Operating Engineers in Chicago, she adds. Shelly Loos serves as a behind-the-scenes master of ceremonies, managing every detail, down to the routes volunteers take to ensure that all delegates receive their signs at almost exactly the same time.
“The signs come from the back, float up to the main floor, and then come to each delegation and we hand them out,” Smoot says, gesturing toward volunteers in neon yellow safety vests walking down the steps of the United Center, the last signs discreetly tucked into large plastic bags.
Smoot then points to white landline phones attached to each delegation’s bulletin board, adding that the delegation periodically receives a call on the designated cell phone, explaining which speaker is on deck and which sign to hold.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000“We don’t know who’s coming until that phone rings,” she says.
Read also
- At Democratic convention, Republicans call for people to leave Trump “cult”
- Editorial | At the Democratic Convention, a Women's Revenge
- Analysis | Two Political Conventions, Two Worlds Presented to Americans
- In Chicago, Democrats Go All Out to Mobilize Young People
A Touch of Intuition
Other delegations were a little less organized, relying more on instinct than official guidance.
“There’s no instructions or anything like that,” Ryan Middleton, a Maryland delegate running for Prince George’s County Council, said early in the evening as he thumbed through the half-dozen cardboard signs in front of him. “It’s kind of a gut feeling.”
Mr. Middleton explains that when Steve Kerr, the coach of the Golden State Warriors, who had just led the American basketball team to the Olympic gold medal in Paris, took the stage, the crowd simply knew that it was time for “USA” signs to appear.
“He won a gold medal, so we did ‘USA,’” Middleton said. “‘USA’ is the default.”
Photo: Brynn Anderson Associated Press
Washington state delegate Heather Young similarly said she chose her signs based on “the mood I was in, what felt right for the moment.”
“I like the ‘UNION YES!’” she said, explaining that her father and grandfather were longtime union and railroad workers. “I like the slogan 'We Fight, We Win'. And I like the word 'USA.'”
Another bonus: “We get to keep the signs. A lot of people back home would love to be here but can’t, and they say, ‘Bring us something.’”
Near-misses
As the evening progresses, the sign choreography becomes more elaborate, and surprise signs appear.
A little before 10 p.m., as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear prepares to take the stage, Alabama’s cell phone rings. A delegate picks up, listens intently, then whispers a message to Ms. Smoot, who relays it to her entire delegation.
“If there’s a protest when Joe Biden arrives, we’re holding up the ‘USA’ sign,” she tells the group. “Only if there’s a protest.”
Then, turning to a reporter, she added, “We’re supposed to be discreet.”
In fact, another set of signs came in handy later in the evening, in another part of the amphitheater: When protesters unveiled a banner reading “Stop Arming Israel,” the crowd quickly blocked them with pro-Biden signs.
Of course, even the most carefully laid plans can go awry, and the convention’s opening day had its share of hiccups. Rumors were circulating that many of the evening's final signs—”WE ♥ JOE” placards mounted on sticks—were still stuck on the East Coast Monday morning and might not make it to Chicago in time.
And as President Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley began introducing her father to close the evening, volunteers were slow to cover the amphitheater with the lollipop signs.
“There’s a glitch,” Smoot said, glancing at the crowd already waving their “WE ♥ JOE” signs. “We don’t have our signs.”
But volunteers, carrying tons of signs, ran up and down the steps of the United Center, handing them out as if they were running with the Olympic torch.
“Here we go! Here we go!” Smoot shouted as the signs reached her delegation. “Come on, come on, come on! Come on, Alabama, here we go!”
Lowering her voice, she explains, “I was wondering where our signs were. We can let the others do it, but we’re not jumping this one.”
Then, as if to make up for lost time, Shelia Smoot grabs two signs—one for each hand—and hoists them high.
With Kara Voght