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The Trump Support You Don't See
Townhall.com ^ | October 28, 2020 | Byron York

Posted on 10/28/2020 4:22:35 AM PDT by Kaslin

Washington, Pa. -- Everyone can see President Donald Trump's rallies. In the final days of the campaign, he is jetting from swing state to swing state, drawing big crowds to outdoor airport events as he makes his closing argument for reelection.

But there are also pro-Trump events that aren't covered in the media. A case in point was a recent road rally, with thousands of Trump supporters jumping in their cars and pickup trucks to drive through parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Organizers estimated the rally included about 2,000 vehicles, each with two, three, or more people inside. Gatherings like it have been going on for months in some of the places President Trump needs to win most if he is to be reelected.

And here is a striking part -- the rallies are not the work of the Trump campaign. The tri-state road rally was organized and staged by local Trump supporters, linked together largely by Facebook, who want to show that enthusiasm for the president in western Pennsylvania and surrounding areas is not just strong, but stronger than it was when Trump eked out a victory in Pennsylvania in 2016. If Trump wins this critical state, it will owe in significant part to this organic movement and the energetic organizers who have nothing to do with his official campaign.

The route of the rally -- St. Clairsville, Ohio, to Wheeling, West Virginia, to Washington, Pennsylvania -- was in the heart of oil and gas country. Many, many of the participants had either direct or indirect connections to the energy industry. (The most concise statement on that came from a man from Greene County, Pennsylvania, who said, "Yes, I am connected to the energy industry, because I've got electricity and gas in my house." That was a short way of saying how important the industry is to all of us.)

The participants were well aware of Joe Biden's recent pledge to "transition" away from oil and gas. To them, that's Biden's way of saying he wants to destroy the oil and gas industry. And for them, the only answer to that is to reelect President Trump.

"We're here because we believe he is the only way we're going to have an economy in the future," said Sherri, from Claysville, Pennsylvania. "We're a big oil and gas family," said Kristie, from Washington. "We're living the American dream because of the oil and gas industry." "The enthusiasm for Trump is unreal," said Maria, also from Washington, whose husband could not attend because he was at his job at a coal mine in nearby Waynesburg.

The rally was organized by Amy Savage, founder, and owner of a company called Oil and Gas Safety Supply. Savage came to the area with the fracking boom in 2012. She built a business selling hard hats and flashlights and gas monitors and eye protection and all sorts of flame-resistant clothing. She said the area enjoyed a big boom when Trump was elected.

"Immediately, the oil fields in Pennsylvania were getting back to work," she explained. "They were drilling, drilling, drilling, and fracking, fracking, fracking. There were more oil and gas workers, more truck drivers, more hotels, more restaurants, more shopping centers. This area has exploded in the last three years with this influx of people. It was an economic explosion because you had a president standing behind the oil and gas industry in these three states, saying we need to be energy independent.

"And now, Joe Biden is going to put an end to it," Savage continued. "Anybody who watched the debate heard those words come out of his mouth. When I heard it, it sent chills down my spine. He's going to pull the rug out from under these three states."

That was what motivated the thousands who gathered recently. Americans didn't see their rally on the news, because it wasn't covered. But it was important. If Trump wins Pennsylvania -- and that would mean he'd have a good chance at winning a second term -- he might well owe his victory to his grassroots supporters' work on the road. Jumping in their cars and trucks and inviting others to come along has heightened the enthusiasm in oil and gas country. Look for them to keep driving all the way to Election Day.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: joebiden; rallies
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1 posted on 10/28/2020 4:22:35 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Liberals just think Trump is preaching to the choir. Their supporters don’t like political gatherings and have little understanding of the consequences.


2 posted on 10/28/2020 4:25:07 AM PDT by Theodore R.
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To: Kaslin

It’s too bad that SloJoe is ahead by 40 points in all 57 states.


3 posted on 10/28/2020 4:25:50 AM PDT by shelterguy
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To: Kaslin

My wife’s cousin and elderly aunt participated in a Trump caravan in rural KY in the last few days. Over 300 cars. I doubt seriously there was any involvement from the Trump campaign.


4 posted on 10/28/2020 4:27:14 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: shelterguy

You believe that? OMG


5 posted on 10/28/2020 4:30:17 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

I don’t believe any of the polls.


6 posted on 10/28/2020 4:31:19 AM PDT by shelterguy
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To: Kaslin

I’m hoping Trump gets 340 in the EC. And we win the House and keep the Senate. That will send a message.


7 posted on 10/28/2020 4:32:51 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (If White Privilege is real, why did Elizabeth Warren lie about being an Indian?)
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To: Kaslin
You need a sarcasm detector. 😂
8 posted on 10/28/2020 4:34:11 AM PDT by Codeflier (Covid-19 taught me: Two types of "conservatives", frightened safety seekers vs. freedom lovers)
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To: Kaslin

these spontaneous rallies - and the hilarious takeovers of biden pretend events - are unprecedented in American history


9 posted on 10/28/2020 4:39:06 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: Theodore R.
I watch some of the Trump Rally's On TV In one of the rally's that I watched yesterday there were over 23,000 people attending the Rally. In some there are even more.

I also watched the Biden Rally he held yesterday. There couldn't be more than 100 people attending if that many.

10 posted on 10/28/2020 4:39:24 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
And here is a striking part -- the rallies are not the work of the Trump campaign. The tri-state road rally was organized and staged by local Trump supporters, linked together largely by Facebook

Uh oh.

Facebook is slipping.

11 posted on 10/28/2020 4:40:41 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The NYT commits acts of violence with their words.)
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To: Kaslin

> the rallies are not the work of the Trump campaign <

I live in a rust-belt state. And I went to one of those rallies the other day. Some guy rented a parking lot, then put an ad online. Hundreds of people showed up. The enthusiasm was incredible. Lots of Trump signs, and lots of American flags.

Oh, and one more thing. Maybe 15% of the crowd were black folks. Every one of them was wearing Trump gear.

I hope that sinks in with some people here (and elsewhere) who say “All blacks are blah, blah, blah...”


12 posted on 10/28/2020 4:41:44 AM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: shelterguy
You sure seem to believe the polls. This proves it. "It’s too bad that SloJoe is ahead by 40 points in all 57 states.
13 posted on 10/28/2020 4:42:46 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

It was sarcasm. I usually put the /s thing for the slow kids but I thought this was very obvious.


14 posted on 10/28/2020 4:44:19 AM PDT by shelterguy
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To: Kaslin

Umm...I think it was, like...a, ah,....

a joke, maybe?

You remember those, right? From before the liberals made laughing illegal?


15 posted on 10/28/2020 4:47:21 AM PDT by _longranger81
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To: shelterguy

It was obvious to me!


16 posted on 10/28/2020 4:50:29 AM PDT by Guenevere (**See you at the Franklin Graham Prayer March in DC on September 26!**)
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To: Kaslin
Here in outstate Minnesota, we had a Y-U-G-E rally under a 30'x50' flag at the tip of a giant crane!

Hundreds and hundreds of people were given flags and swag bags and no Republican office holder or aspirant in sight, just "We the People"!

17 posted on 10/28/2020 4:53:20 AM PDT by Aevery_Freeman (Freedom Is In Peril! Defend it with your life.)
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To: Kaslin

The media and the polls are showing Joe as winning because when he loses, they will claim Trump stole the election...and then the riots will REALLY begin.


18 posted on 10/28/2020 4:53:39 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: ConservativeDude

My kid, who is 14, but a firm DJT supporter like his dear old dad, said the horn honking outside of the plugs rally was uncool.

I told him this is war, and war is all hell.


19 posted on 10/28/2020 4:58:29 AM PDT by cld51860 (Volo pro veritas)
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To: Lazamataz
> Facebook is slipping. <

I think I’m going to send Facebook an email. I’ll tell them that pumpkin pictures are really secret Trump rally alerts. Then I’ll sit back and watch the fun.


20 posted on 10/28/2020 5:04:01 AM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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