In Green Bay, Wis., Tim Michels’s speech was smooth and confident (unlike my photography).
The entire slate of Republicans passed through Green Bay on Friday morning, featuring a surprisingly deft performance from Tim Michels. Having interviewed Michels a couple of months ago, I was fascinated by his improvement on the stump and during the media availability. He’s not a natural talent, but he has moved from reading a 3×5 index card behind his eyes to delivering a more uniform, confident speech with smoothed transitions. Since it was Green Bay, may I offer an analogy? If we were to draft politicians on polish, Michels would have shifted from a late sixth-rounder to a mid-fourth-round pick — serviceable and expected to see the field this season, but with a modest ceiling.
The protesters that Wisconsin Democrats had requested to interrupt the event never materialized, so the grey morning did not see the sort of demonstration that I had expected. However, the head of the GOP office kept a list of those who would be attending and observed it with zeal, so it may be that such obstreperousness was headed off at the gate while the candidates spoke on the controlled back lot.
Two images I snagged encapsulate the event, and really all such political rallies, quite well. To be clear, I’m an amateur in photography — a status made all the more obvious standing next to a Green Bay photojournalist toting a $4,000 lens as I snapped photos on both my phone and bog-standard Canon Rebel T3i DSLR bought on sale at Best Buy in 2013 for $600. But one can do a lot with a little if the photo’s construction is solid.
Given that crowds interest me more than candidate close-ups, an 18–55mm lens satisfactorily captured this:
There are three things I’d like you to notice. Starting on the right and moving to the center (Ron Johnson in a University of Wisconsin jacket), there are three generations in ascending order. A young man holds the American flag, a woman serendipitously passes through holding a “Parents for Ron” sign, and an older man and Air Force veteran looks forward at lax attention. (The young guy and the old man are both wearing Under Armour gear: a link between the two. This is perhaps not coincidental, as the sportswear company has made moves to produce some of its clothing in the United States.)
To the left are staffers — wherever you see a puffy vest — and media. The closest staffer stands in the foreground between the media’s cameras; he watches the crowd as the cameras watch Johnson. There’s a lot of that at these events: people watching people watch political persons. The security detail was especially keen on me, tracking my movement as I walked through the static crowd. The reflective sunglasses, postures, and universal glowering are easy tells.
Third, the “Ron-mobile” and the Michels van are parked perpendicularly, a backdrop for the candidates and an apt metaphor for the races’ perceived, relative importance. While both campaigns have seen over $100 million spent for and against them, the Johnson campaign is the biggest sturgeon in Lake Michigan, and Johnson spoke later on behalf of Republicans about election integrity — specifically alleged fraud recently discovered in Milwaukee — during a Q&A session with the media, standing beside Tim Michels.
You can listen to that exchange below. (I apologize for the audio quality: Few outlets publish the full interview so this is my recording.)
The second image worth your review is captured by the ultrawide lens on an iPhone 13 Mini:
What I most enjoy about this photo is the absurd chasm between the media — armed with a battery of cameras — and the candidates. The staffers span this distance in the claustrophobic, fluorescent Republican Party office while the candidates studiously avoid meeting the gaze of the press until Alexa (the young woman in the trench coat: a member of Johnson’s press team) is satisfied that supporters are properly lined up to provide an inspiring backdrop. Once the candidates step forward, the press creates a horseshoe around the men, nudging each other out of the way for a satisfactory shot. It’s from humble venues with coffee-stained carpeting such as this one that the world hears from prospective candidates.
Lastly, peering through the window to the right is a Ford Mustang GT Fastback, with what I believe to be a 450hp 5.0L engine. If it looks concerned, it’s because its future will likely be decided by the EPA drones deputized by Congress to make life less fun. All have a stake in elections, even pony cars.