WASHINGTON: It is more like a Grateful Dead concert than a political rally. There is music, food trucks, tents, and people joined together beneath the Trump banner. The only thing missing might be marijuana and psychedelics. President Trump kicks off his 2020 re-election bid. For those supporters of a certain age, it is like Woodstock. Or the aforementioned Grateful Dead. For the thousands of attendees that started queuing up on Monday morning. Though the rally does not start until 8 p.m. tonight. That is Tuesday. For some that is 36 hours and more in Florida’s flash rain storms and sweltering summer heat.
Thousands of people are already lined up in Orlando, some two days before tomorrow nights big Rally. Large Screens and food trucks will be there for those that can’t get into the 25,000 capacity arena. It will be a very exciting evening! Make America Great Again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019
Some #45 Fest Rally Trivia:
- “This is the big one,” says Jennifer Petito, 54, of Melbourne. “This is the mother of all rallies.” Petitio, wearing a pink “Women for Trump” hat and a red-and-white striped fanny pack, was second in line despite getting there at 2 a.m. Monday — 42 hours before the rally’s start.
- Saundra Kiczenski, 40, of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been to 28 rallies for Trump. She said she’s waited in line through rain and freezing temperatures to hear the president speak and isn’t worried by the heat and rain expected in Orlando this week.
- The Amway Center has a 20,000 seat capacity. However, there were more than 100,000 ticket requests. Meaning that the campaign has collected the name, address, phone and email of approximately 120,000 supporters.
- Trump’s re-election war chest as over $40m, far more than any other candidate.
Forget Impeach-Trumpitis – A better idea is let’s impeach Congress
- William Howard Taft (R-1912)
- Herbert Hoover (R-1932)
- Gerald R. Ford (R-1976)
- Jimmy Carter (D-1980)
- George H.W. Bush (R-1992)
Each of the above (losing) incumbents, sans Taft and Ford, shared one common thread.
A failing economy. Hoover was president during the stock market crash of October 1929. Under Carter inflation reached double-digits. Bush said “Read my lips, no new taxes,” then he raised taxes.
President Trump is presiding over the strongest economy in America’s history. President Taft was the victim of political chicanery when Roosevelt split the vote in an attempt to regain the White House. Ford was the victim of voter disdain when he pardoned his predecessor Richard Nixon.
A Quinnipiac University poll published this afternoon says that Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders both lead over Trump n Florida, a state necessary to win the White House. But it is a long time until November 2020. Economic forecasts are strong. And the polls had Hillary Clinton by a landslide.
And it might be hard to find a more engage and enthusiastic base than the one behind the President. They recognize that he works every day on his campaign promise of “Promises made, promises kept.”
Because that “Read my lips” thing Bush did – well it did not work very well for him.
