Posted on 01/10/2016 7:24:39 PM PST by Red Steel
OTTUMWA -- Two of Wapello County's largest indoor events happened on the same day -- and in the same place.
"That's one of the biggest days in our history," confirmed Scott Hallgren, executive director at Bridge View Center.
Though numbers varied by source, his counter clicked nearly 2,100 for the appearance of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump on Saturday afternoon. Ticket sales for the evening's '80s tribute band Hairball approached 2,400.
"So we are looking at about 4,500 through our doors today," Hallgren said.
Visitors to the campaign stop at 1 p.m. may not have been giving much thought to the rock band, scheduled to go on at 7:30 p.m. But this band doesn't pull up at 7:15 p.m. with an accoustic guitar and a couple stools to sit on.
In fact, just as Trump was getting rolling on his speech, the tour bus of the band Hairball came rolling into the parking lot.
"Donald Trump took the stage at 1, and Hairball arrived at 1:30," Hallgren said. "The Hairball truck couldn't even get in the parking lot. My event coordinator called me. I grabbed the lead Secret Service agent, and said, 'We've got a small problem. Can you help me?' He went out there and talked to the police and the sheriff that were with the motorcade."
They cleared out a blocked off parking lot entrance, allowing access for the acts. The bands began offloading on one side of the building while the candidate continued speaking on the other.
Ottumwa's Bridge View Center remained flexible.
Anyone realize that Trump is 69 years old, and he has the stamina to hold multiple rallies per week, in addition to calling into news stations and giving interviews.
Meanwhile, back at the Pizza Ranch...
From 30,000 to 1700? Trump is finished!
Mason City Globe Gazette:
Trump about equals the number of Cruz Iowa rally goers in his ‘Pizza Ranch’ and diner, 28 stop, 5-day-bus-tour in only a few hours.
First to use the S word. “We will knock the S**t out of Isis.”
Makes me cringe and cheer at the same time.
Nice!
Cruz has never had these numbers in Iowa in only 2 small town rallies. ;-)
Me, too, Awgie. He’s bringing out the worst in dear ole Hubby. Took me 33 years to get his cussin’ under control . . and now Donald has him all revved up again. lol
A woman fainted at the event. Likely kept her legs locked, which causes fainting.
One of the MSM said a woman ‘collapsed.’
For Obama they “fainted”; for Trump they “collapse.”
But I have it on good authority that people are NOT going to show up to vote!!! (Do I need a sarcasm tag??)
According to Frank Luntz, the same schmuck who predicted, based on his focus groups, that Trump was finished after the first debate. LOL
Day 5....drip, drip, drip....
We were talking about that here and then we realized: Trump has no donors to meet with!
That alone gives him an edge over all the other candidates.
Hairball outdraws Trump!!!
“But I have it on good authority that people are NOT going to show up to vote!!!”
You are correct, so no tag needed at all.
Because we all know that massive crowds like this mean nothing. All of these people who spend the time and effort to schedule their lives around going to this rally, manage to buy tickets, brave awful traffic, brave bitter cold, and hunt for a parking place are simply NOT going to bother registering to vote OR go to the voting polls. We’re pretty sure they just went to buy the hat and t-shirt because they don’t know how to use the Internet to buy ‘em online.
*SNORT*
It’s just ludicrous. Thousands of people drive over an hour (as the four of us did), or wait in line, often in the cold to hear a politician. . . But they won’t spend a fraction of that time and effort voting? Silly.
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