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In Presidential elections, size doesn't always matter
CNN ^ | 27 August 2016 | Stephen Collinson

Posted on 08/27/2016 8:51:18 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

(CNN)It's the most deceptive sign in politics.

Every four years, a presidential candidate gazes out over a vast crowd and convinces themselves the White House is there for the taking. In 2016, the general election candidate drawing the biggest and loudest crowds is Donald Trump. "We got to Oklahoma, we have 25,000 people. We had 21,000 people in Dallas, we had 35,000 people in Mobile, Alabama. We get these massive crowds," Trump said in Florida earlier this month.

"Look, if she had 500 people I would be surprised," he added, poking fun at Hillary Clinton's more intimate events.During the primaries, Trump's massive crowds did, in fact, translate to votes. But size is not always a barometer of a campaign's destiny. In fact, extrapolating electoral prospects from the size of rally crowds is often a misleading metric -- for evidence, look no further than the campaigns of Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, John Kerry and Mitt Romney. Bernie Sanders thrilled thousands of people in mega-rallies over the past year and a half as well.

Yet every election, candidates and aides, seeking silver linings when beset by bad polls, indulge the wishful thought that bulging rallies will mean a stampede at the ballot box. Often, they tout that mystical, yet unquantifiable, political commodity: Momentum. "Momentum's a word from physics that got hijacked by journalists and political operatives to sound scientific," said Sam Wang, a professor of neuroscience who runs Princeton University's Election Consortium. "What it means is -- 'I am excited by where I am today, I am excited by what is happening.'"

That is not stopping Trump however-just as it did not stop Sanders supporters who saw his crowds of 20,000 and up in the primary race to argue that a tsunami of enthusiasm for the Vermont senator could overcome Clinton.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: crowdsize; desperate; elections; excuses; medicalissues; presidential; sicklyhillary; trump
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The authors says it is the MOST deceptive sign in politics, large crowds. Really? Apparently the left knows something everyone else doesn't know, someone is going to do something to make sure the actual votes don't count. Hillary is going to cheat to win this election...somehow.
1 posted on 08/27/2016 8:51:19 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

The number of such crowds means something too. This isn’t onesie twosie stuff.


2 posted on 08/27/2016 8:53:23 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Reference to Hillary’s ‘intimate’ functions. Bwahahaha!


3 posted on 08/27/2016 8:54:29 AM PDT by originalbuckeye ("In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Small crowds.
Few lawn signs.
No press conferences.
Tainted polls show a tie (at best)

Trump has barely started his ads.
The debates still lie ahead.
More wikileaks are coming.
Her health isn’t getting any better.

Yeah, I’d say Hillary has this one all sewn up!


4 posted on 08/27/2016 8:55:13 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Abortion is what slavery was: immoral but not illegal. Not yet.)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Anybody with knowledge of Obama Crowds vs McCain Crowds vs Romney Crowds should post what they know.

We may be kidding ourselves.
We may be dead right.

It would be nice to know.


5 posted on 08/27/2016 8:55:32 AM PDT by InterceptPoint (Ted, you should have endorsed. Big mistake.)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

In(corrupt, fraudulent)Presidential elections, your vote doesn’t always matter.


6 posted on 08/27/2016 8:58:54 AM PDT by TTFlyer
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To: InterceptPoint

Crowds and polls and political science can give us signs.

The biggest sign of all, if it can be seen, is the sign of divine intervention, and this appears more and more plausible. Donald has survived an array of gaffes that would have floored candidates with mere surface appeal.


7 posted on 08/27/2016 8:59:51 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Trump is taller. Historically the tallest candidate wins


8 posted on 08/27/2016 9:00:17 AM PDT by Nifster (Ignore all polls. Get Out The Vote)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Yeah, I’d say Hillary has this one all sewn up!

How did Obama win the 2nd election? I'd sure like to know.

9 posted on 08/27/2016 9:00:30 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: TTFlyer
In(corrupt, fraudulent)Presidential elections, your vote doesn’t always matter.

In no uncertain terms, that is exactly what the author is telling us.

10 posted on 08/27/2016 9:02:00 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: InterceptPoint

I had a friend who lamented she couldn’t get a ticket to see Obama in 2012, in Columbus, Ohio. The pictures from the event showed a half full venue. I have always been concerned about the manipulation then, as we thought Romney was doing well with his large crowds.


11 posted on 08/27/2016 9:02:20 AM PDT by originalbuckeye ("In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell)
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To: InterceptPoint

Folks.....just remember when CNN tells you the “Trump” crowds at rallies & political events do not matter all, just keep in mind, that baseball teams that are in the running for the World Series, draw massive fan crowds, and those that don’t, attract few supporters & decent revevue flow.. Likewise football or, any other sport.

Actually CNN, should realize this truth quite easily. Their viewer support is dropping like a weighed anchor thrown into the deep sea. LMAO!!!

Go Donald J. Trump!!!


12 posted on 08/27/2016 9:03:13 AM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX (Defeat both the Republican (e) & Democrat (e) political parties....Forever!!!)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
CNN HEADLINE NEWS: HILLARY IS VERY POPULAR IN THE NORTHERN STATES! Sleepwalker in Underwear Draws a Crowd Wherever He Goes - Industry ...
13 posted on 08/27/2016 9:04:55 AM PDT by Leep (Cut the crap!)
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To: originalbuckeye

Romney only had few large crowds, on occasion, and he never campaigned as hard as DJT does, or held as many political rallies as DJT does also. Infact, the last month of the campaign, Romney hardly did any real campaigning. I guess he was sleeping in his garage!!!


14 posted on 08/27/2016 9:06:03 AM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX (Defeat both the Republican (e) & Democrat (e) political parties....Forever!!!)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Historically, dems get 90% of the blavk vote. Obama got over 95% of the black vote. Hillary won’t get that % at all. In fact, some poll internals are showing Trump in getting 20% and 40% of the black and hispanic votes. Throw a +20% advantage that Trump has with independents, I would say that this is very bad news to the dems.


15 posted on 08/27/2016 9:06:07 AM PDT by TMA62 (Al Sharpton - The North Korea of race relations)
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To: JLAGRAYFOX

It comes down to who would you rather have a beer with..


16 posted on 08/27/2016 9:07:17 AM PDT by Hojczyk
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To: All

It doesn’t matter if it’s YOUR candidate getting the tiny crowds...(Whistling past the graveyard)


17 posted on 08/27/2016 9:07:37 AM PDT by JBW1949 (I'm really PC....PATRIOTICALLY CORRECT!!!!)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
In Presidential elections, size doesn't always matter

Well, duh...

With the combination of a rigged system, the IRS and other fedgov departments routinely breaking the law, and wholesale ballot-box stuffing by big-city Democrat political machines, of course it doesn't matter...

18 posted on 08/27/2016 9:07:48 AM PDT by Zeppo ("Happy Pony is on - and I'm NOT missing Happy Pony")
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To: TMA62

Democrats are getting etiolated, GOP is growing in strength. More and more “minorities” will vote the strong horse.


19 posted on 08/27/2016 9:08:20 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Zeppo

This is why Trump is raising as much enthusiasm as he can nationwide. If it is not close, they cannot cheat.


20 posted on 08/27/2016 9:09:13 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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