Glenn Beck rally drew a crowd. But how big?

Politico ^ | August 28, 2010 | Scott Wong

[Zakeet]

How many people jammed the National Mall Saturday to take part in Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally?

Tens of thousands? Certainly. One hundred thousand? Perhaps. Half a million? No one can really say for sure.

Crowds packed the area around the Reflecting Pool, standing shoulder-to-shoulder under the canopy of trees, as they strained to see the pair of big-screen monitors near the Lincoln Memorial. Families huddled around the World War II Memorial fountain, dipping their feet in the water to stay cool under the August sun. And they laid out camping chairs and sun umbrellas, filling the large grassy area between the memorial and the Washington Monument.

Organizers pulled event permits for up to 300,000 people, and expected at least 100,000 to show up.

Beck said he had heard the crowd was between 300,000 and 500,000, "and if that's coming from the media, God only knows."

But the Associated Press said tens of thousands of people participated in the rally.

[Zakeet]

The MSM don't know for sure because they were busy covering something
much more important ... namely, my arrest for possession of cocaine

[SeattleBruce]

“But the Associated Press said tens of thousands of people participated in the rally.”

This is several times the size they estimated for 9/12/2009 - which was probably 800,000 to 1.3M from all objective standards. Does that mean that that today’s actual crowd was rally around 2M?

I’m kidding - I’ve heard 300K to 600K though. Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to do the media’s work for them? What monkeys they are.

[eak3]

i saw one pic and it was wall to wall people from the lincoln memorial and past the washington monument. I guess easy 100k people

[9YearLurker]

“100,000? Perhaps.” You gotta be kidding me. This article steers the reader toward the AP’s “tens of thousands” for authority. That’s pathetic!

[GonzoGOP]

But how big?

Big enough to scare the $#!T out of the democrats in congress. And that is what matters. Assuming that we can grab either the House or Senate in November there will be a real temptation for Obama to shove a lot of BS through congress during the lame duck session. Demonstrating that we can get that many people into the street will go a long way towards preventing them from giving in to that temptation.

[Harley]

.....namely, my arrest for possession of cocaine no brain.

[Trueblackman]

Well she did finally grow a pair and filled out. The press is all upset at the power of Beck and the failure of Sharpton’s counter rally.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Picture of Beck's rally from the top of the Washington Monument

[A message]

CNN has been pissing their pants all day on this. I’ve been subjected to their propaganda all day in airports today. It has been their “ TOP NEWS STORY.”

Beck who draws a bigger audience than their top 3 talking monkeys together has them in a dither. Their jist has been — oh this is political and on MLK’s anniversary of being murdered. The faux outrage and concern and oh, dear, me, how, could,he, BS is so obvious it’s pathetic.

[aphid]

BBC has a decent sized photo - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11121542

[susan_wv]

I was there. Based upon the areas that were filled, and the number of people that the park service estimated the areas could hold, the crowd had to be in excess of 500,000. I asked one of the workers about crowd estimates, and she said that over 300,000 were expected on buses alone (buses had to register). And I did not travel on a bus, nor did anyone sitting in my immediate vicinity.

[EggsAckley]

I love the way the AP had to throw in that they were unsure how many were “just tourists.”

Meanwhile the MSM is slithering around trying to make SOMETHING out of Sharpton’s pathetic little excuse for a “rally.”

Heheheh.

[Artemis Webb]

It looks like 300k might be about right. I think maybe a little less but still a great showing. I saw one overly enthusiastic FReeper claim there were 2 million there but if you compare the pictures of the Beck event to Obama’s inauguration, which drew 1.8 million and was backed up like sardines to the capital steps, it's plain to see 300,000 is about the most it could have been.

[Berlin_Freeper]

I wasn't there but it looks about half full?

Considering there is another half on the flip-side of the Washington Monument.

I would say 1.6 million.

Depending on density, a crowded National Mall can hold between 1.5 million and 3 million people.

[RnMomof7]

Assuming that we can grab either the House or Senate in November there will be a real temptation for Obama to shove a lot of BS through congress during the lame duck session

That is my fear

[jersey117]

That’s OK. They’ll be forced to cover the turn out on in November.

[cripplecreek]

LOL

Can you hear us now?

[Jackson57]

MSM rule of thumb: Conservative rally, divide by 10. Liberal rally multiply by 10 - 100, depending on the talking points released previous to the rally.

[susan_wv]

Has to be more than 300,000. That number came on the buses alone.

[CitizenM]

Whatever size it was...it was hugely larger than the rally across town, you know, Sharpton's rally. And, Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally had no political overtones and was multi-racial, multi-cultural. Both in attendance and those selected to speak. I don't recall one white person in the audience or speaking at Sharpton's. If there was...they were certainly very few.

And Beck's rally focused on Unity, love, understanding...GOD...and Faith, Hope, and Charity. Sharpton's speakers were bitter, shouting in an angry manner, and generally hateful.

The contrast was so apparent. Prayers are surely needed to help those who protest so filled with hate and resentment so they realize they are fighting the wrong battle. Across town were hundreds of thousands who were willingly ready to embrace all races, all faiths...but those in Sharpton's crowd were just being polarized. What a shame that leaders such as Sharpton practice division. The loss is to the people who follow him.