Freedom Plaza. All photos by Jason Bergman
Whenever there is a presidential convention, all the attention is heaped on the political theater surrounding the nominees and their party. But, unbeknownst to most of us, there are hundreds of non-partisan people who come together and work to ensure that the convention goes off without a hitch.
This was especially true in Cleveland, this past week, while the Republican National Convention relied on hundreds of average citizens to do everything from keeping the restricted zone clean to slinging boozy drinks to the delegates. These workers have a unique insight into personalities behind the Grand Ol' Party, because they interacted with them when the cameras were down.
We took some time to talk to three employees who worked at Freedom Plaza, a restricted outdoor space that catered to media people and delegates and was located right outside the Quicken Loans Arena, which is where the convention was held. We spoke with these workers to find out what it's like to serve the people of the Republican Party and if those interactions put the politics of this country into a new light for them.
Andrew Haag, Bartender
VICE: How did you end up working at the convention?
Andrew Haag: My stepfather saw the convention was looking for bartenders, servers, and additional staff. He forwarded the link to me. I interviewed and got the job.
What was a typical day working at the convention?
We all met at the IX Center, which is right by the airport. And they gave us our passes. All kinds of different people were there. Not just bartenders or servers—one guy worked for a landscaping company, another person was an accountant... But I think a lot of people were looking to make some cash and wanted the experience. We all met at the IX Center and then we took a bus to Progressive Field. We got off, went through security, which only took a minute or two. Then we walked into Freedom Plaza.
Where did you work?
I worked in the Beer Garden bar, which was right in front of the stage. It was a fairly minimal set up because it was just wine and beer. So we drained the coolers, we replaced the ice, we restocked the beers as needed. Other than that, we were good to go. There wasn't a whole lot of setup. So a lot of our time, initially, was spent BSing and making small talk about the convention.
Did you have to go through any strenuous security stuff to be able to do the job?
I had to submit a couple forms of identification, which is pretty standard for any job, so I didn't think much of it. I'm assuming they did a background check on us, I don't know for sure though. It wasn't like I had to interview with security or the police or anything like that. I gave them a copy of my passport and my drivers license. I had to take a photo for a security pass. There was no photo on my badge itself, but there was a barcode and a number assigned to it, so I'm assuming if you scanned that, it's some type of PDF situation.
Was there any interesting interactions that you've had over the past few days?
I've never met more consistently polite customers. Everyone has been super kind, extremely genuine. Republicans from all over the country, even the ones from Texas. More specifically, I met an extremely nice couple from Nevada—a couple of delegates. They were great. I would hang out with them in a social setting. We talked about politics, we talked about their kids, we talked about music. It's just been a whole lot of fun. I think people have this perception about Republicans that they're elitist, racists, backwoods, inbred, southern... But everyone I've talked to has been super kind, super nice, intelligent, open minded, philosophically flexible. They we're open to discussion.
Have there been any specific occurrences that stand out in your mind?
The couple, we joked around and we kind of got into the meat of it. We both got teary-eyed. We were talking about the United States and how important it is to us and how in a lot of ways we're scared. What's happening in the United States hasn't happened in a very long time. The sort of social unrest that's going on. They have a 13-year-old daughter they were talking about and obviously it's an ambition mine to have kids in the near future. We were talking about how we want the country to be safe, a good place, a wholesome place, a happy place, a place where people can prosper and thrive.
I was talking to my father about this, this morning. I was born an American, I've been an American my whole life. But I really think over the past days of being at the Republican National Convention, I've become a patriot.
That's really interesting. When you started this thing, did you planning to vote for Trump?
I've never voted before in my life. For a lot of my life I was like, "Voting is a sham." But I was a Trump supporter before I came here. Now I'm going to join the Republican Party because I realize that these people represent all of America. They're trying to make the United States a better place for everyone.
Are there any other experiences you've had by working this thing that's been a revelation to you as an American?
Everyone wants the country to be great again. I was talking to a fellow bartender here named Julius, he's African-American. He was saying, "'Make America Great Again?' What the hell does that mean?" Yesterday, after having a lot of political discussions, we walked around and talked to a lot of people inside the convention and he was like, "Man, I think I realize what that means now." I think when a lot of people hear that, they think Republicans want to turn back the dials and make America the way that it used to be. For a lot of people, they associate that with an oppressive, racist America, where only rich white people could thrive. But that's not the case at all. Just being here, I'm seeing that so clearly now.
Julius Barkley, Bartender
How did you get a gig working the convention?
Julius Barkley: I work for a catering company. After we found out that Cleveland was getting the RNC, I guess they asked my company if they would do the bartending and do all the food and everything. It was a big deal.
What did you think about Republicans before the convention started? What'd you think about Donald Trump?
In my mind, Republicans were monsters and Donald Trump was a fascist.
Can you describe your interactions with people from the GOP?
Bartending, you meet a lot of people and they divulge. There's a couple that's been coming to the bar for four days straight. They're our regulars. They were just telling me it's not so much "we are Republicans because we want to be Republicans," it's more that "we believe the direction that the GOP is going is the best for America." They were telling me Trump's plans to make more money available for veterans, which I'm totally with because my father is a veteran...
The only thing that I really butted heads with people at the RNC was on is immigration. One guy I was talking to, I asked him about his views on the kids of the immigrants who were brought here by their parents. He pretty much was like "We'll keep the good ones." It's funny that he said that. We had a Mexican girl named Karen working with us who immigrated here illegally. Her mom brought her here when she was ten.
Has anybody treated you differently or said anything that was questionably racist?
I'm black. When I first got here, I got on the wrong bus. It was full of Trump delegates and I was the only black guy there. There were all these old white people and everyone was looking at me funny. Nobody's been overtly racist or obvious about it, though. But sometimes I feel things. As far as the police, the presence here has been tremendous and beautiful. They're always walking around. And people give them ovations inside the convention. But if you go outside, it's a totally different story.
Do you think that you'll vote for Donald Trump?
I'm still probably gonna vote Democratic. My views on Trump haven't changed that much, but my views on Republicans have. I just have a better understanding. We don't have to be enemies. We can understand each other.
Andrew, the bartender I talked to earlier, mentioned that you have a new outlook on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Is that true ?
In the sense that I am an American. Not that I'm leaning towards Republicans. But this is the country I live in. I was born and raised here. I have friends from other countries, they're patriotic about their countries. They love their homeland. I love my homeland too and I want to make America... like, "great again is a stretch, but I want to make it better. I just want it to be a better place.
Karen Barraza, Event Marketing
How'd you end up working at the RNC?
Well, I was born in Mexico. I came to the United States when I was almost 10 years old by crossing the border and walking through the desert. And I started living in South Central LA. Thanks to Obama Deferred Action policy, after I graduated from high school, I was able to get a work permit, a social security number, and start working. I did a bunch of odd jobs and now I'm doing event marketing, which brought me to the RNC.
What did you think about Trump before you came to Cleveland to work the RNC?
I don't get government help and I pay taxes. I'm always trying to do everything right. So last year, when the whole Trump comment about how immigrants are criminals and rapists came out, I was very confused. I thought it was a joke. I still take it as a joke, because I'm an immigrant and those comments don't reflect who I am. When I got this opportunity to come to the RNC, I was a little terrified. I didn't know exactly what to expect. There has been a lot of talk about riots and people being furious at immigrants because of Trump. My loved ones told me be careful.
What do you think of the people you've been tasked with servicing here?
People have treated me like a normal person. There was nothing different. I was treated like one of them. It was odd. It's honestly something I did not expect. I didn't get any funny looks, I didn't get anything. But obviously once they started the convention speeches, I would hear people say, "Illegal immigrants, they're bad. They're this, they're that. We need to get them out of the country. We need to build walls." I'm one of those immigrants. I'm working. I respect the laws. I do everything I can to be a good citizen. But they don't know I'm one of the people they're criticizing.
Why are Donald Trump's ideas about immigrants wrong?
Immigrants are not committing crimes because they're scared. They don't want to be in the spotlight. When the Deferred Action law passed, a lot of people didn't allow their kids to apply because they were scared that the government was going to get all of their information and deport them. My mom is scared to take me to the airport because she's afraid she's going to get deported and she has her driver's license. She's able to be here, but she's scared. She's scared of being found out.
What do you think of the Republicans now that the RNC is over?
I live in South Central, LA. So, I've never actually met somebody who's a Republican. I thought they were what the news makes them out to be. But they're normal, every interaction that I have with them has been normal. They're everyday people, but their views are completely different from mine.
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