The downside of patriotic displays at the DNC/Obama acceptance speech

The stars and stripes, supersized.

Shortly after the speakers began appearing at Barack Obama’s Invesco Field at Mile High acceptance shindig, crews of yellow-smocked minions (whose activities at the Pepsi Center during the DNC were documented here and here) materialized and began giving small American flags to each member of the crowd. But these apparently didn’t create an impressive enough backdrop for a cadre of military leaders who threw their support to Obama. Hence, the smocked ones reappeared with enormous flags and searched for volunteers to wave them — and unluckily for us, a guy sitting directly in front of us signed up. As a result, we saw little of the stage until the flag-bearer handed off the banner to a guy sitting over a stairwell, who could move it back and forth without blocking anyone. That was one decision I saluted. — Michael Roberts