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Regarding Rally Crowds, to the Media Size Matters - But Only Regarding One Candidate
Townhall.com ^ | June 23, 2020 | Brad Slager

Posted on 06/23/2020 5:01:16 AM PDT by Kaslin

They really should not go there…

The press and the Democrats have a unique inability to look at issues in the long term. They love to focus on the emotion of the moment without considering how things may play out in the future to their detriment. Just look at how they have become unraveled when items like The Nuclear Option, or delaying Supreme Court appointments came back to burn them when employed by the opposing party.

In similar but lower import fashion this weekend we watched as the press and the Democrats (as well as select ‘’former GOPers) brayed loudly over the diminished crowds for President Trump’s rally, held in Tulsa on Saturday. By any measure the turnout for the event was far lower than expected. As Guy Benson noted there could have been a number of factors, but regardless it was a PR mess. A speech to be held for the expected overflow crowd was scrapped and an arena sported only about 2/3 capacity, by some photos. Tulsa fire officials were said to peg the crowd at approximately 6,400, woefully shy of expectations.

Those expectations are what is fueling the media hysteria today, as they avoid a certain amount of realities. Considering this was Trump’s first rally after our Covid crisis shutdowns, and all of the advanced hype and built-in politics surrounding the event, it was natural to expect throngs on Saturday. There are a number of factors to consider behind the diminished audience; Covid concerns, counter-protest strife (gates were closed in response to conflicts) as well as something leftists are crowing about -- the teen ticket takers.

There are rampant reports about a widespread effort made across numerous social platforms - including China-backed Tik Tok - that had scores across the country glomming tickets by the dozens, if not hundreds. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised the teens behind the ticket-scamming move. Also we had anti-Trumper/Lincoln Project member/MSNBC sycophant Steve Schmidt bragging how his daughter was among those who successfully conned the system. 

What they manage here, in highlighting the subterfuge behind the truncated turnout, is undercutting their own narrative. How can you claim the president is suffering a dropoff in support when you are bragging about artificially creating the evidence that you point to for your claim? You cannot both note the smaller crowd is a reflection of waning Trump support while at the same time saying, ‘’We did that!’’

But the looming issue, that long range matter that the press and the Democrats cannot manage to see over their lowered focus, is that by harping on the crowd size they will inevitably create the comparison to Joe Biden. When has the former vice President managed a crowd the size of trump’s ‘’embarrassment’’? Last month when Biden had a rally in Philadelphia his office claimed 6,000 were in attendance, a figure even supporters in the area deemed was over-inflated. Notable how banner headlines of failed expectations did not trail in the wake of that event.

There are occasions when a lack of physical enthusiasm for Biden is mentioned and it is countered with the claim that what he has been focusing on more are virtual town halls and digital appearances, all done in the name of proper social distancing. This is as far as his defenders would like you to go however, because if you peer into the metrics behind his digital outreach the results are stark, and embarrassing.

For a time Joe attempted to compete with President Trump’s daily coronavirus briefings. From his home he would counter the administration’s narrative, but he quietly edged away from these offerings, as he never managed to draw more than a few thousand sets of eyes. Things have only eroded from there. On June 12, Biden gave an address to the Wisconsin Democratic Party convention, an entirely virtual event. He never managed to have over 100 people watch.

Contrast that with what the press will not detail for you, while hyperventilating about the amount of people who did not turn up on Saturday. President Trump’s speech was viewed by a vastly larger audience at home. Fox News set a record for a Saturday night rating -- with well over 7 million viewers -- as well as millions more watching online.

Little surprise why the press wants to only focus on Saturday’s attendance, and not mention the type of numbers Trump draws elsewhere...and, for the same reasons, why they choose to ignore Biden’s as well.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: campaignrally; election2020; joebiden; presidenttrump

1 posted on 06/23/2020 5:01:16 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

(This report was sent to me on Facebook, FWIW.)

“What really happened at Tulsa”

[In addition to the million bogus Tik-Tok reservations, and the Antifa-BLM Gantlet at the entry gates]

By an in-person attendee.

Here is how a corrupt convention center management team kills attendance at a Trump Rally. I was there and saw most of it first hand, followed by others tonight that never got past the Covid-19 temperature screeners.

1. The BOK Center holds at least 19,000. The area outside the convention center set up by the Secret Service and Tulsa PD had a U-shaped squeeze shoot to funnel the crowd down to an area about 50 feet wide and 600 feet long with an outdoor stage adjacent to the BOK entrance. Trump was supposed to be able to speak to the overflow group from this stage by Jumbotron TV screens.

2. Entry to this “Secure Area” [NOT the BOK center] was about 5 blocks away where you had to pass the Covid screeners who took your temperature, made you put on a face mask, and gave you a green band to proceed to Secret Service Security.

3. If the Covid temperature screeners left their post, then the entire entry to the BOK Trump rally was shut down.

4. And that is EXACTLY what happened today [Saturday June 20] about an hour after we got through security.

5. The BOK Center, just before the doors opened, had blocked off every other seat in the arena so the arena could only hold about 9500 people.

6. After continued back and forth with the Trump campaign, something happened to allow more people in [in groups of just 100 at a time]. We had to wait about 30 minutes each time for them to let just 100 of us trickle into the building. I am not talking about their security— we had already passed through metal detectors and everything. You could actually run into the building each time they would let just 100 of us in at a time, but that was just wrong and corrupt on BOK management’s part. They removed the stickers/every other seat rule - that is true, but only after they shut down all entry to the “event location”.

7. I looked over at the screening area and told my wife- something fishy is gong on- 2 hours before the rally - the screeners have left! I told her- no one can get to the stage/overflow area or the BOK center with the “temperature screeners” gone! It is like the people that collect tickets saying: “We are done, we are leaving.” You can’t get in!

8. They left their posts and from what I am learning- thousands could not get in to the first checkpoint because the Covid temperature screeners had to put green wrist bands on you for you to gain access to the Secret Service security checkpoint. No green band— no entry to the security check point.

9. I think the BOK Center management told the Covid screeners - “We have reached the capacity for what we are letting into the BOK center, so shut down- do not allow the other Trump supporters to get a temperature check, and no more green wrist bands. Do not issue green wrist bands so they can even get into the holding area to see the stage for the outdoor Trump Rally.”

10. It was all a setup to make it look like the crowds did not show up. The crowds DID show up, and after 5pm,- 2 hours before the event- no one was there to let them get to security.

11. With only about 3/4 of the building full, and no overflow crowd, then, CNN boasts that the rally was a flop. The only thing that was a flop was BOK Covid temperature screeners quit, left, and turned away thousands of attendees who never got to be near the rally.

This is pure political corruption at it’s finest. I was there— the super high energy crowd was there. They need to fire the BOK manager that oversaw this disaster. President Trump: we as the crowed tried, but with corrupt BOK management your crowd was downsized. We need a re-do without a crooked BOK building manager. On top of all that, even Uber was not accepting payments for any rides to the downtown area for the event.

I hope this backfires on all the crooks.


2 posted on 06/23/2020 5:05:39 AM PDT by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Kaslin

“You cannot both note the smaller crowd is a reflection of waning Trump support while at the same time saying, ‘’We did that!’’”

Leftists can. One of their superpowers is the ability to believe contradictory ideas simultaneously. They’re trans-rational.


3 posted on 06/23/2020 5:06:25 AM PDT by rightwingcrazy (;-,)
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To: Kaslin

Excellent analysis of the President’s rally.


4 posted on 06/23/2020 5:09:44 AM PDT by Kharis13
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To: Travis McGee
Looks like Joe Biden had about a dozen people at this rally. Maybe 3 dozen if more are off to the right.

With a couple or three boxes of Krispy Kremes, the audience members could have had 2 donuts each!


5 posted on 06/23/2020 5:13:55 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: Travis McGee
This is all very plausible.

BOK, and Tulsa's mayor, would have been totally down with it. In fact, one wouldn't be surprised to find out that this plan came down from on high.

So it shall be on election day, btw, or some more violent flavor of the same. In just a few carefully selected precincts in a few swing states...

6 posted on 06/23/2020 5:30:37 AM PDT by OKSooner (Don't buy from China. Don't buy from Microsoft. Don't do Facebook. Tweet only enough to get banned.)
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To: Travis McGee

Hopefully Trump’s advance team is aware of this and will do something to prevent it at future rallies. In addition, Americans are so accustomed to doing things virtually after months of shut-down that more Trump supporters than in 2016 may choose to enjoy the rallies from their screens at home. He does need to continue the rallies.


7 posted on 06/23/2020 5:37:44 AM PDT by Freee-dame
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To: Freee-dame

I agree, they’ll be smarter and better next time.

“Fool me once...”

(The million fake TikTok reservations, etc)


8 posted on 06/23/2020 5:51:37 AM PDT by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: OKSooner

They should have played down expectations, instead of building them up.

They’ll be smarter next time.


9 posted on 06/23/2020 5:52:34 AM PDT by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Travis McGee
It's part of a big picture. They allowed the brownshirts to block an entrance to a convention center in a red city in a red state and get away with it.

We'll be seeing a derivative of this play run again on election day, in a swing state near you.

[Long, unique story about Tulsa city government being run by old money that's split pretty evenly down the middle... BOK mostly owned by liberal bazillionaire... City charter changed to "Apolitical" elections... Young "Apolitical" mayor with a lisp playing to both sides... Local media doing what media always does...]

What happened Saturday did disappoint given the expectations, but OTOH is not surprising in hindsight... Trump handled it well.

10 posted on 06/23/2020 6:11:37 AM PDT by OKSooner (Don't buy from China. Don't buy from Microsoft. Don't do Facebook. Tweet only enough to get banned.)
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To: Travis McGee

I wonder if the advance team knows all this.


11 posted on 06/23/2020 6:16:30 AM PDT by GnuThere
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To: Kaslin

Millions of people watched Trump’s Tulsa rally on TV and online. I’m guessing it was probably the most-watched US political rally ever.


12 posted on 06/23/2020 7:25:02 AM PDT by euram
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To: Kaslin

How many could fit in Biden’s basement anyway?


13 posted on 06/23/2020 9:52:14 AM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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