When Mitt Romney made his announcement on Saturday that Paul Ryan would be his running mate, he stood in front of several dozen supporters who were standing on risers. On the top row, dead center, were a tall African-American man and a shorter African-American woman. He wore a white shirt and dark red tie. She wore a black head wrap and a white scarf. Both held American flags. They were noticeable because of where they were standing and, let's face it, because when the camera scans a Romney crowd, there are few people of color to be seen.
During the break in the action, after Romney announced Ryan, but before Ryan began to speak, the woman began talking on her cell phone. Her expression was animated, as if she was telling someone where she was. Frankly, I was talking to the TV, telling the unknown women to get off her phone. I would not be surprised if someone from the campaign told her that she was on camera and should put her phone away. It would not have been inappropriate, if done politely.
I turned away for a minute to check something on the stove, and when I turned back, she was gone. I doubt that she had to leave for some sort of emergency, because her expression and demeanor did not suggest that she had just received a call delivering some sort of terrible news. Did they ask her to leave? Did she take offense at being told to put her phone away? What's the story?
If you look at the Romney campaign website's video you will see a big empty space over his left shoulder where the woman had been standing. The other people on the back row didn't even close ranks to fill the gap.
So was she a Romney supporter? Or just someone who was asked to stand there and be seen? Sure would like to hear from her why she was there and why she left so abruptly.