The year was 2016, and then Presidential Candidate Donald Trump was filling arenas with more people than an “NSYNC-Backstreet Boys-TLC” triple-threat tour. Say what you may about President Trump, but the fact of the matter is that the man knows how to attract a crowd. Despite certain media outlet criticisms of his record-breaking attendance rallies, the size of a rally is crucially important.
President Trump Puts On A Show
One week ago, President Trump tweeted in approval of his rally attendance:
“The crowds at my Rallies are far bigger than they have ever been before, including the 2016 election. Never an empty seat in these large venues, many thousands of people watching screens outside. Enthusiasm & Spirit is through the roof. SOMETHING BIG IS HAPPENING — WATCH!”
Trump’s assessment is not an isolated response. People on all sides of the aisle are obsessed with the president, his tweets, his rhetoric, you name it. Trish Hope, publisher of “Just the Tweets,” a compilation of the president’s first-year tweets posited that if “people stand out in the rain and sun for hours, camp out overnight and take off work to attend a rally, then they’ll certainly show up to vote.
“What the media misses is that people just want to be a part of the Trump movement. And they are in denial that something big is going on here. The media is going to be more shocked this year on election night than in 2016.”
–Trish Hope, “Just the Tweets”
It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that Democrats have their work cut out for them in the upcoming Midterm Elections in November.
It shouldn’t shock anyone that Trump’s appearances generate larger crowds than that of his Democrat counterparts. According to recent rally statistics, Trump’s Nevada rally in Elko County drew a crowd of roughly 8,500 people, while former Vice President and Democratic Senate candidate Jackie Rosen only attracted 500 attendees to their event in Las Vegas. Just to knock this point home, former President Obama had 2,000 people attend an event held at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas’s 18,000-seat arena. On Monday, the same day as the Obama rally, President Trump held a rally in Houston where 18,000 stormed the seats of the Toyota Center, and a reportedly 100,000 were on a waitlist.
The question on the minds of every political scientist, average joe, and former President of the United States of America is this: will these massive droves of Trump supporters get out the vote on Nov. 6?
What’s So Important About These Midterms?
If there were ever a time for voters to voice their opinions in a U.S. Midterm election, it is now. Congress is infuriated with the president’s lackadaisical response to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the lies and deception put forth by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) of Saudi Arabia. Political analysts strongly believe that when Congress meets in December, the House and Senate will impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia, with unanimous approval.
The unanimity of this vote is predicated on the mistrust Congress has with President Trump, given his adoration of Saudi-backed oil ventures. Many believe the Khashoggi murder will serve as a major turning point in the geopolitical relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month, high-ranking government officials from around the world, as well as several silicon valley c-level executives, decided not to attend the “Davos in the Desert” conference held in Saudi Arabia, given the Saudi’s response to the Khashoggi situation.
The 2018 Midterm elections will determine who controls the House and the Senate, and if the Democrats ride the “blue wave” over the Republican party, there is no doubt that the president will lose his present ability to pass legislation as if martial law is in order. Recent gallop polls indicate that Trump’s disapproval rating is at 42.9%, suggesting the increased likelihood of the Democrats taking control of the House.
One thing is for sure, this year’s midterms will be chockfull of surprises for both parties.
