November 6, 2018

"These rallies are the envy of official Washington... There isn't a single elected official in either party who could do what this is tonight, other than Donald Trump. No one! And they're jealous. They are envious."

Rush Limbaugh at last night's Trump rally in Limbaugh's home town Cape Girardeau, Missouri:



"And this isn't supposed to happen. You people are supposed to love them. So guess what? They want to get in on it. Bill and Hillary Clinton and their national stadium tour.... Have you seen Obama? He's been stumping down in Florida, where I live. He's drawing crowds of a thousand people, two thousand people. Joe Biden can't fill a phone booth, because he's looking for somebody to punch out. This [gesturing at the size of the rally] is incredible!... When I first started watching the campaign, I watched the President and his family come down the escalator, in June of 2015, I heard his opening remarks, and I said this is [laughs], there's no way. And then I saw the first polls. And then I saw the first one of these, and I said, he's gonna win, because he has a connection. There is no other politician with a connection to voters like this. Nobody has it. And Washington can't stand it. I'm not kidding. The establishment cannot stand it at all."

I don't know what the actual crowd size for Obama has been (and I've looked), and I don't think Bill and Hillary are calling their tour a "stadium" tour. They're playing in 3,000-seat theaters (and they're charging big money — $59 to $745 a ticket — so it's no mere demonstration of love). But it's certainly true that Trump has set an insanely high new standard for what a political rally should look like. Can anyone else ever do it? Probably no one currently in the picture.

So "official Washington"/"the establishment" must surely hate it, and it's easy and fun to laugh at their dismay. But there are also a lot of ordinary people who don't like Trump and who look at these rallies and wonder what to think about it. The notion will need to be that rallies are bad. Large, enthusiastic crowds don't think clearly and make sound decisions about government. It's mob mentality. A big rally is a dangerous monster. It's scary. It feels like racism. Like Hitler. Etc. etc. That sort of spin is its own monster, gathering momentum and rolling out of control.

But it's election day. The big referendum on Trump. Maybe America will say no, and these crowds will come to represent Trump's limited appeal, a box he's built for himself. But if America says, yes... what then? Moderate that I am, I tend to think America will say... maybe.

108 comments:

rhhardin said...

Rush had become less and less listenable. The lefties are their own satire, leaving Rush no room for anything but disgust without humor.

Trump has displaced Rush, you could say.

rhhardin said...

Trump has taken over the larger-than-life act, which is actually self-deprecating, and used to be Rush's appeal.

Tank said...

As I said last night, Rush looked like he was having a great time last night. And why not? Who more than him has kept hope alive for us on the right these many past few decades?

Whatever happens in these elections, Trump will continue to fight and entertain. Best and most entertaining President since … I dunno, Thomas Jefferson?

Tank said...

Maybe him should be he?

peacelovewoodstock said...

AA> It's mob mentality.

I believe the Dems own that brand.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Make jobs, not mobs.

Phil 314 said...

Is this like Johnny Carson giving a boost to the upcoming comic (“Funny stuff.”) or is it Jerry Seinfeld giving nostalgia props to one of his inspirations (i.e.Carl Reiner)

(And who is who in this tortured analogy?)

Jimmy said...

Nazi rallies? yeah, going out and burning, looting, attacking innocents. Yeah, forming organized gangs to prey on opposition members. Sounds very Nazi to me. One small problem. the violence, hate and the actions described above are solely on the left. Trump's rallies are attended by people who patiently and quietly wait hours. Don't burn or destroy. Usually have real jobs. But yeah, they must be Nazi's. Such
'reasoning' is exactly why so many normal people are disgusted with the Dem party and the left.

Marcus said...

I was wondering when someone would liken the enthusiastic Trump rallies to Hitler. Watch for it to become the latest trope on the MSM.

Grammar Nazi weigh-in: Rush, it is "envious", not "jealous". Since none of the Libs want Deplorables around, they are not jealous of those at our rallies at all.

AllenS said...

You don't need to know how many showed up for an Obama rally. Since they never show the crowd, just listen to the crowd noise at one of his rallies. I doubt if he draws a crowd of more than 100.

rhhardin said...

Yesterday was world tsunami awareness day.

Andrew said...

Voted here in Ohio at 6:45 am this morning. Longest line I've ever seen for ANY election. Voted straight line Republican. I'm hoping for an evening reminiscent of two years ago. I want to watch more journalists suffer while pretending to be unbiased.

Birkel said...

On MSNBC the results are already in:

Hillary has been elected President.
Robert Mueller is Vice-President.
The House stands at 434-1 but there is a recount on the one.
The Senate is now 58-42 but seven* Republicans May switch parties.

*Romney, Murkowski, Collins, Sasse, and three players to be named later.

And college age voters are turning out at 110% thanks to Common Core math.

Birkel said...

Also on MSNBC:
Heidi Heitkamp has a chance.
(Cue Jim Carrey)

Jeff Brokaw said...

Bet on “yes”.

rehajm said...

Hush up Rush. Trump doesn't need a hype man.

Jersey Fled said...

Every once in a while Rush nails it right on the head.

rehajm said...

He does have point- most of those jerks crave cult worship.

rehajm said...

In terms of peeves the envy of Trump crowds is low compared to the furious rage at the realization leftie billionaire money can't buy elections for them.

David Begley said...

“ And then I saw the first one of these, and I said, he's gonna win, because he has a connection.”

When I went to my first Trump rally, I thought he had a chance. I talked to a woman who worked at a meat packing plant and she loved Trump. His crowds were always large and enthusiastic. No one else can do that. Rush is right.

Martha said...

Mika and Joe were pretty hysterical this morning. Joe even invoked the Beatitudes as proof the Caravan was
good and the Republicans pure evil. Is there a new poll out?

Oso Negro said...

I couldn't stand him as a candidate, but the man IS a prodigy. I have liked him much better as President. I hope his health is good and he keeps flogging the Democrats, the media and the establishment for another six years. Let's recall - he was the preferred candidate of the opposition, because they were sure he couldn't win against Hillary. THAT he did was the Black Swan event for Washington DC Inc.

Bob R said...

Oprah Winfrey, John Stewart, Steven Colbert, LaBron James. If any of these run, they'll draw the same type of crowds. The only person on Team Red who could do this is Clint Eastwood, and he's too old.

tim maguire said...

I'm not exactly sure what "populism" means but I am sure it's used by the establishment to mean "the proles have forgotten their place."

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

For the man who has brought rock-star charisma to electoral politics, today saw the campaign rally as pop festival, a summer gathering of peace, love — and loathing of George Bush.


A crowd of about 200,000 gathered in Berlin today to hear Barack Obama’s major foreign policy speech as he nears the end of a long – and generally successful – foreign tour.


Large crowds used to be a good thing.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

LOCK HER UP.
Never gets old. Why? Because she used a private server and mi-handled classified information in order to stuff her family foundation coffers and hide it all, and she never paid a price for it.

LOCK HER UP.

Ralph L said...

Tank, Jefferson was shy and avoided public speaking.

No references to Nuremberg rallies?

Birches said...

The media tried to call Trump rallies Nuremberg back in 2016. It didn't work. I don't think they are going with that attack this time around. I don't understand the appeal of a Trump rally, or any political rally, but they must be good.

tim maguire said...

Bob R said...
Oprah Winfrey, John Stewart, Steven Colbert, LaBron James. If any of these run, they'll draw the same type of crowds.


At first, maybe. But only Oprah over time. They draw crowds because they are successful professional performers. Draw crowds is what they do. Trump draws crowds because he is doing something real that excites people. There's a difference.

Humperdink said...

"Every once in a while Rush nails it right on the head."

Yep, like everyday.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

That was a GREAT speech by Limbaugh. He is, obviously since his career is speaking, a master at putting together a speech. Like Trump, he isn't using "high flautin'" language, but the language of the people. I really laughed at the Joe Biden can't fill a phone booth line.

My husband made this observation.....What is great about Limbaugh's speech is that he was able to say some of the things that Trump can't say or would sound very off putting if he did say them.

Such as: Trump doesn't "need" to do this [be President]. He could spend the rest of his life on a yacht or on the beach. Trump doesn't "need" to take this abuse. He could have continued to run a successful business enterprise. He could have stayed in his comfortable life....BUT....he does this for the Country and for YOU.

Trump should have Rush Limbaugh be the run up for his appearances at every campaign rally for the 2020 election.

dreams said...

It's going to be a big day for Trump and Republicans, a big day for people who love America.

mockturtle said...

If McSally wins [and I sincerely pray she does] it will be in spite of a very lackluster and poorly managed campaign.

tim in vermont said...

https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/article221164105.html

He also, of course, goes after “fake news,” claiming it’s the only way he can combat a monolithic media chronically unfair to him. Coincidentally, after Friday’s West Virginia rally, a pool reporter estimated Trump’s crowd at a mere 1,000, a number later corrected by Secret Service metal detectors to more than 4,000.

To quote a famous politician. "They cain't hep it! They was born with a silver foot in their mouth!"

wild chicken said...

Guy from Bozeman told me on Twitter that the crowd is full of ringers! Solicited on Craigslist! Bought and paid for, even the maga hats!

Actually if Team Trump is doing something like that to pad the visuals, great. The Indian chiefs was a great touch. I think they want a coal mine or something.

Winning!

tim in vermont said...

Rush and Trump have this in common

At a slew of his rallies this fall, Trump, unlike standard pols, got up with no prompter and riffed for 60 to 70 minutes to a crowd that started lining up a day earlier. Some days, the 72-year-old president did three such mass events in different cities. Ostensibly, they are for state candidates. But they’re clearly the undercard.

wildswan said...

Conservative Treehouse had an interesting description of oncoming news coverage today which will include claiming left victories through false exit polling and or refusing to call races until the polls close in California which is 8pm West Coast time. The idea is to discourage Republican turnout in the West. This is exactly what happened on Election night 2016.

Another thing that happened that I notice from Election night 2016 coverage was that the Democrats "found" very large numbers of uncounted votes after midnight in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. All these votes were in Milwaukee and Philadelphia and almost all went to Hillary. All other votes were in, Trump's lead was known, then these votes appeared. At 1 AM, CNN discussed these votes, explaining that they were why Hillary would not concede and the election had not been called by the media despite Trump's lead. In Pennsylvania by means of "provisional" votes from Philadelphia, the Democrats thought they had a number equal to 3% of the state wide votes. No one knew how many there were! In Wisconsin there were "absentee" ballots from Milwaukee - no one knew how many! In the end there were something like 70,000 "absentee" ballots in Wisconsin that appeared from Milwaukee and went to Hillary if these media reports are correct. But still the Dems did not have enough in either Wisconsin or Pennsylvania. This year what will happen? One of the limits is that there are only 600,000 people in total in Milwaukee City, some under 18, some voting Republican, some not voting.

tim in vermont said...

Guy from Bozeman told me on Twitter that the crowd is full of ringers! Solicited on Craigslist! Bought and paid for, even the maga hats!

To be fair, it's probably the only way he can imagine that a crowd of that size could be gathered.

tim in vermont said...

I remember watching the painful for liberals, meaning the broadcasters, election night coverage of PA, and basically they dragged it out long past the conclusion was clear for any numerate person, but I don't remember that. I am not saying that voter fraud isn't rife in Philadelphia. I have a theory that if you check on Republican voter registrations in certain precincts, see if they voted then see if they are real, you might have a chance of uncovering a lot of it. Per Snopes, when the Philly Inquirer investigated Republican registrations, they were often fake addresses or nobody ever heard of them. The "Inquirer" never, of course "inquired" into whether any of these "people" had actually voted. Snopes used this incuriousness to "prove" that voter fraud was a myth.

mockturtle said...

Trump has more energy than any President in history. Probably. T.R. was pretty energetic, too...

AustinRoth said...

Where was all this concern about large rallies and mob mentality when Obama first ran?

Sebastian said...

"It's mob mentality."

Yeah, just like the rioters on inauguration day, the pussyhatters fantasizing about blowing up the White House, antifa running wild in Portland, just like.

gilbar said...

mockturtle said...
Trump has more energy than any President in history. Probably. T.R. was pretty energetic, too.

I Love TR, And he WAS pretty energetic;
but he was The Youngest President in History, and died at what? 61
That Trump is 72(?) is staggering

gspencer said...

The harridan's watching these rallies on her TV, silently cursing, "Why don't they love me? ME, ME, ME. I'm what they need, what they want. ME, ME, ME. I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me."

wild chicken said...

"I don't understand the appeal of a Trump rally"

Support group for shy Trump voters.

Hey, it's tough out here.

iowan2 said...

Big crowds are a sign of the persons intelligence and prescient forward looking programs, and great goals all the people understand and support.

I know this, because I am a conservative and history did not start anew when I got out of bed.
Big crowds were evidence of Obama's greatness.

Robert Cook said...

"At a slew of his rallies this fall, Trump, unlike standard pols, got up with no prompter and riffed for 60 to 70 minutes...."

Hahaha! Why would he need a telepromptor? He never says anything substantive, but orates only in (glittering) generalities and (inane) insults. He's a bullshitter par excellence! He's like Bill Clinton without the wonk factor.

Darrell said...

Cookie needs to go to a meeting at CPUSA.
No donuts, but somebody probably brings some crappy cookies or rice cakes.

bagoh20 said...

Hitler ruined a lot of stuff, but going Godwin is a choice. You could just as accurately identify such popularity with Martin Luther King or JFK.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

orates only in (glittering) generalities and (inane) insults.

Its not an address to the Council on Foreign Relations or the UN. Or even a State of the Union speech. Its a political rally, glittering generalities are what you get. Count me among the people who would never stand in line for hours (sometimes days) so I could hear any politician, even one I agreed with, pump up the faithful. But, some people do want that, and most of those people seem to be Trump supporters. People who are tired of being told that they're deplorable and the country they love is awful and they have no right to it anyway. Mumbling about Trump being a bullshit artist is beside the point. It may make you feel superior, but its not a very useful analysis of the political situation.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

The rally's provide emotional validation to a large swath of the population that feels that the MSM and most of the political class actively despises them. At a Trump rally they hear that someone with real power is listening to them and cares about what they care about. The attendees have a strong emotional attachment to Donald Trump. Personally, I'm not big on having emotional attachments to politicians. But, that is how the game is played. Some people have a strong emotional attachment to Hillary Clinton, of all people. The fact that Trump's rally's are so huge shows that he is plugged into the zeitgeist.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

So, anyone who is motivated to attend a Trump rally is probably evangelizing friends and neighbors, exhorting them to get out and vote. A pretty good percentage are going to be volunteering with campaigns or at the very least, donating money. The rally is a force multiplier.

Browndog said...

Support group for shy Trump voters.

Hey, it's tough out here.


Exactly right.

The Crack Emcee said...

AustinRoth said...

"Where was all this concern about large rallies and mob mentality when Obama first ran?"

Man, ideologues have short memories when you want to, I swear.

I wrote my answer to this in a blog post called Ann, Rush, Trump, The Right & Me because, I figured, no one would read a Crack Emcee blog post called "Rush Limbaugh is Hitler's Lost Testicle" or something deliberately provocative like that.

It just wouldn't fly.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Guy from Bozeman told me on Twitter that the crowd is full of ringers! Solicited on Craigslist!

Interesting. Heard the same thing about Obama last week when he was in GA. But that story at least had a copy of the Craig's List ad that confirmed the rumor. IF there were any fakery in the MAGA rallies the Progressive mob would have exposed Trump by now. Guy from Bozeman is full of crap IMHO until he can show proof.

steve uhr said...

Can someone provide a link to an unbiased source estimating crowd size at Trump rallys?

JAORE said...

Guy from Bozeman told me on Twitter that the crowd is full of ringers! Solicited on Craigslist! Bought and paid for, even the maga hats!

Yeah, and no one on the left/MSM has found or publicized these Craigslist ads. But, yeah, go with the "guy from Bozeman" factor.

Darrell said...

Can someone provide a link to an unbiased source estimating crowd size at Trump rallys?

Stadiums have seats and maximum capacities, so that number is known. Crowd estimates outside are made by local authorities for safety reason and personnel deployment. You want a Lefty source that lowballs the number, don't you? Pull a number out of your ass, Comrade. That's how you roll.

Robt C said...

" But if America says, yes... what then? Moderate that I am, I tend to think America will say... maybe." Sorry, I read all the comments looking for some help, but failed.

"Maybe" what?

Robert Cook said...

"The rally's provide emotional validation to a large swath of the population that feels that the MSM and most of the political class actively despises them. At a Trump rally they hear that someone with real power is listening to them and cares about what they care about."

But...he doesn't really care about them. They're being conned. He panders to them to aggrandize himself. For The Donald, it's always about him

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

He never says anything substantive, but orates only in (glittering) generalities and (inane) insults.

This where you and the Progressive mobs misunderestimate Trump. He speaks long passages about how the people, the forgotten people of America, and how we out in the crowd are the ones who make America a great nation, regardless of color or race or creed and he repeats this theme in his extemporaneous riffing. He never fails to speak to unity, saying peace and prosperity is what will bring us all together. This is the true Trump danger for Democrats, because he is demonstrably trying to unite ALL Americans and he's hit on a winning formula of putting everyone to work who wants a job and standing up to the enemies of America. Democrats just can't do that anymore. They are too bound up in identity politics and the denigration of blue collar work.

So you wax on about "insults," the tiniest, least interesting part of Trump's long extemporaneous speechifying. Yes they get laughs. But that is because Trump's timing is impeccable. He's a master at working crowds and being interesting while doing it. Obama was such a lousy speaker that every time he went (or still goes) off-prompter he turns into a stuttering idiot. Recall his "insult" about how Trump would not and could not ever get America back to 4% growth because Trump doesn't have a magic wand to wave and make the economy do better than 2%. Brilliant! If you are 3-year-old. Obama is a weak speaker owing to his weakness as a beta male and being a person out of touch with his own country and culture. He can read other's words and project intelligence but can't actually demonstrate any original intelligent thoughts of his own, and on stage he's even worse than horrible.

Bruce Hayden said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bruce Hayden said...

"Oprah Winfrey, John Stewart, Steven Colbert, LaBron James. If any of these run, they'll draw the same type of crowds. The only person on Team Red who could do this is Clint Eastwood, and he's too old."

I do think that Oprah could do it. Question Stewart and Colbert - for me they are one trick ponies. On the Dem side, I think that you would need to look to the minority communities to find people able to work crowds as well as Trump, or even Rush. One problem seems to be that Black Dem politicians, in particular, seem too willing to take advantage of the women and money that come with this sort of power, and inevitably seem to make Trump look like a Boy Scout. Obama did decently well because he seems ambivalent about both of those, and was trained to deliver prepared texts fairly well. Couldn't talk extemporaneously at all well, as evidenced by all the TelePrompTer jokes Rush and others used to tell. Obama seemed to almost literally go into mumble mode when he lost his prepared texts. Used to be quite funny.

On the Republican side, I think that Palin could do it, and did 10 years ago. Probably not anymore, because I think that she turned more inward to raise her youngest boy with his disabilities. I think that we are going to see others, as the Republican Party has migrated down market, economically - they were bad in the past because they were the upper middle class WASP party, and emotional appeals just didn't work. People who could connect with the rest of the middle class just weren't the right sort of people for Republican leadership - that was what the Democrats did. But not anymore. Joe Biden may have been one of the last national level Dems who could do it, and like Palin, has lost his edge, his connection, over the last decade (as his party has shifted hard left, where appeals to getting more free stuff and socialism now triumph over patriotism and shared values).

Robert Cook said...

"He speaks long passages about how the people, the forgotten people of America, and how we out in the crowd are the ones who make America a great nation, regardless of color or race or creed and he repeats this theme in his extemporaneous riffing. He never fails to speak to unity, saying peace and prosperity is what will bring us all together."

What you describe above is substance-free hot air.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

But...he doesn't really care about them. They're being conned

His love for America and desire to see Her great again is proof enough for me. You dispute this at your own peril. He, as Rush says, has formed a connection with regular old Americans that few "politicians" ever do or even can do. I don't understand that need to think a particular pol "cares about me" individually. That seems more religious than political. But Trump has demonstrated by his actions that he cares about getting better deals for us, that he cares about border security like 80% of Americans, that he wants us to lead the world from the front not behind. So I think he does indeed care about what I care about most and that is a damn good proxy for "caring" about me too.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

But...he doesn't really care about them. They're being conned. He panders to them to aggrandize himself. For The Donald, it's always about him

And once again, even if you are a mind reader and that's true, so what? The outcome is the same.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

What you describe above is substance-free hot air.

No, Asshole, that is the exact proscription America needs to hear: that we are all one, regardless of race or creed, that we are Americans. And we can be proud of America. It's the thing we were all promised Obama would do to "unite America." And it is the opposite of everything the DNC-Media reports about Trump, "the divider the hater" every day. He is trying to speak to our better angels and unify the country. You can dispute whether "peace and prosperity is what will bring us all together" but that is what the consensus says we all want, and the facts are that as Black unemployment dives to historic lows more Black voters favor Trump. The message of hope and change has finally come true and is finding reception in far more people, but in a different guy, and you just can't handle it Cookie.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

I meant "prescription", not "proscription" in there.

Bruce Hayden said...

" I think that we are going to see others, as the Republican Party has migrated down market, economically - they were bad in the past because they were the upper middle class WASP party, and emotional appeals just didn't work. People who could connect with the rest of the middle class just weren't the right sort of people for Republican leadership - that was what the Democrats did."

Thinking about the changes in the two parties, I was thinking about how Obama did with his speeches. I was somewhat struck with how well he could connect with white upper middle class voters. He sounds articulate, intelligent, and well educated. His tone and delivery is probably more compatible with that group, than is Trump's much more emotional appeal. Obama sounds like what we would expect a Harvard Law graduate to sound like, and a lot of those who are impressed with his educational credentials are probably impressed by his speeches. Trump decidedly does not sound like what we would expect a Wharton business grad to sound like. Wharton is a numbers school, where corporate finance has long ruled its curriculum. That is the last thing that Trump sounds like - the typical Wharton finance guy.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

What you describe above is substance-free hot air.

And, once again, a political rally is not a policy paper. The very purpose of a political rally is to forge an emotional bond with your supporters.

Your position seems to boil down to Trump being a bad person who doesn't really emphasize with the people who support him, that he is just using them to feed his ego. That's a personal judgement that has no salience in regard to the political situation. I now know that you think that the orange man is bad. So what? He is trying to deliver on his campaign promises and is succeeding. His motivation is immaterial.

MadisonMan said...

But...he doesn't really care about them. They're being conned. He panders to them to aggrandize himself. For The Donald, it's always about him

As opposed to any other politician?

The thing I like about Trump is he is plain-spoken. And he really does love America. That comes shining through in his speeches, if you listen.

I guess that's two things.

Ken B said...

I agree on the maybe. I think the Trump *presidency* is pretty popular. Trump *himself* is not. Maybe that not is not yet. Two more years of boom, no new wars, and gestures like the 8 minute pause, and he will be.
He can never be immensely popular, he has a ceiling at about 55% or so. You can do a lot with 55%.

gahrie said...

But...he doesn't really care about them. They're being conned. He panders to them to aggrandize himself. For The Donald, it's always about him

Which is rare in a politician...right?

iowan2 said...

Christ Cookie.

You are such an idiot. 'They're being conned', 'Nothing but hot air'

Not a single low IQ voter lacks the self awareness to ignore the whole "hope and change" puffery.

Even you Cookie, know it. So you must be getting paid to pound out this idiocy on a keyboard, because you know how stupid it is, and do it anyway.

Big Mike said...

It’s right out of the campaign chairman’s handbook: “If your candidate is best in front of large crowds, put him in front of large crowds. If your candidate is best in small gatherings, put him in a lot of small gatherings.” But in Trump’s case he’s fantastic in front of large crowds, and a lot of people want to hear him.

As to Joe Biden, just don’t put him in a phone booth with an underage girl. Just sayin’

And meanwhile the Millennials look at each other with puzzled expressions. “What’s a phone booth?”

Seeing Red said...

America may say NO in the House, that’s to be expected, but may say YES in the Senate, which is unexpected.

Just another day in America. Lololol

Seeing Red said...

Obama sounds like what we would expect a Harvard Law graduate to sound like, and a lot of those who are impressed with his educational credentials are probably impressed by his speeches.


Or simplistic buffoons I, I, I, I I

Seeing Red said...

Conservative Treehouse had an interesting description of oncoming news coverage today which will include claiming left victories through false exit polling and or refusing to call races until the polls close in California which is 8pm West Coast time. The idea is to discourage Republican turnout in the West. This is exactly what happened on Election night 2016.


1980 and 2004 especially Florida when W was ahead by 200k votes.

Seeing Red said...

Another thing that happened that I notice from Election night 2016 coverage was that the Democrats "found" very large numbers of uncounted votes after midnight in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. All these votes were in Milwaukee and Philadelphia and almost all went to Hillary.


Philly 2000 election. Certain precincts had over 100% participation for Gore.

iowan2 said...

KenB at 9:42

Sounds reasonable. 55% is a good number. But if that is President Trumps max. With an economy that stays strong. Inflation manageable, GDP steady at >3%. Foreign relations all tracking toward continued peace. Domestic issues continue to be addressed, and that's the best approval possible, then the Federal govt is really ungovernable. Because I don't know what else to expect from a nations leader.

tcrosse said...

Robert Cook has noticed that the peasants are revolting.

Seeing Red said...

But...he doesn't really care about them. They're being conned. He panders to them to aggrandize himself. For The Donald, it's always about him

So he does have something in common with Obama. The difference is in the speeches where Obama let everyone know it. Then there was that Obama mirror photo.

Seeing Red said...

If Missouri was smart they’d either have or build an intermodal site and promote themselves with the slogan, stay away from high-cost Illinois. We can move your goods cheaper.

Seeing Red said...

BTW, Cookie, as to being conned? I’m still waiting for my $2500 Obamacare reduction.

Big Mike said...

@tcrossse, Chuck did too, and he likes it even less.

mockturtle said...

Cookie, great speeches do not a great President make. Words are cheap. Give me actions any day. I believe--and I daresay do most of the crowds at his rallies--that he genuinely loves our country. I wish you did.

Big Mike said...

But it's election day. The big referendum on Trump

@Althouse, not really. In many, significant, ways it's a referendum on the Democrats more than a referendum on Trump. Do you like masked thugs breaking windows and skulls, apparently with impunity? Vote Democrat. Do you like people proposing programs and saying "Oh, we'll figure out how to pay for it later"? Then by all means vote Democrat. Are you unhappy that more black and Hispanic people have jobs than during the Obama administration? Vote Democrat. Are you in favor of dispensing with due process in allegations of sexual misconduct? Vote Democrat.

Bill Peschel said...

I was curious about Crack's comment about Obama's rallies being "cult-like," so I looked up the story.

It happened when Obama was first campaigning for president: (link to Media Matters) CNN Repeats Smear of Obama Supporters As Creepy

I don't think that kind of criticism lasted. A few months later, when he went to Berlin, the media was cheering the large crowds expected to see him. "Like the Rolling Stones coming to Europe."

tcrosse said...

Trump leads the rise of the Deploretariat.

rehajm said...

I’m still waiting for my $2500 Obamacare reduction.

I’d be happy just to have my lousy old plan back.

Howard said...

What Mencken (1880-1956) did write, in the Sept. 19, 1926 edition of the Chicago Daily Tribune, was: “No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”

Birkel said...

Correct Howard. But we were all chatting about Republicans, not Democrats. So your comment is OT.

MacMacConnell said...

"great speeches do not a great President make. Words are cheap. Give me actions any day."

Less we forget Obama pounded NAFTA renegotiation during his 2007 campaign, but after being elected....crickets.

Mark Nielsen said...


RE: Obama's cult-like rallies.

Try this.

tcrosse said...

It's pathetic to think of the False Consciousness of all those who, in their ignorance, are propelling the economy and the stock market. If they only knew! But that bullshitter Trump has them all bamboozled.

Greg P said...

I don't know what the actual crowd size for Obama has been (and I've looked)

Well, then, you DO know: the sizes sucked

Because if they were good, it would have been reported


Robert Cook said...
"At a slew of his rallies this fall, Trump, unlike standard pols, got up with no prompter and riffed for 60 to 70 minutes...."

Hahaha! Why would he need a telepromptor? He never says anything substantive, but orates only in (glittering) generalities and (inane) insults. He's a bullshitter par excellence! He's like Bill Clinton without the wonk factor.

I'm curious, Robert, what counts as "saying something substantive"?

"If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor"? "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan"?

"ObamaCare will save you $2,500 / year on your premiums"?

"Our embassy in Benghazi was attacked because of YouTube video"?

"Those Republicans are goin' to put youall back in chains"?

Would those be the kind of "substantive statements" that Trump isn't making?

Howard said...

tcrosse: we are still riding the Obama Wave. at least Trump couldn't fuck that up

Achilles said...

Robert Cook said...

But...he doesn't really care about them. They're being conned. He panders to them to aggrandize himself. For The Donald, it's always about him


You all need to remember, Cook's heroes are Che, Mao, Castro etc.

He is very good at judging character and knows when a leader is leading his people into despair, poverty, and political terror.

Trump wants to reduce the government's power over people, give them more freedom, and let them keep more of their money.

Obviously evil.

Birkel said...

That Obama wave is not evidenced in contemporaneous public opinion surveys.
Oddly, those surveys betray your partisan lie.

Achilles said...

Howard said...
tcrosse: we are still riding the Obama Wave. at least Trump couldn't fuck that up

Obama said those manufacturing jobs weren't coming back.

Now he and his followers are taking credit for them coming back.

You and all the other Obama supporters who carry on with this shit are so obviously stupid. You can't possibly take what you are saying seriously.

Nobody actually thinks Obama has anything to do with the economy improving.

You are a fucking moron for even saying it.

gahrie said...

we are still riding the Obama Wave. at least Trump couldn't fuck that up

Well..at least Obama is consistent. He blamed the shitty economy when he was in office on Bush, and is now taking credit for the booming economy since he left office.

Could someone on the Left tell me exactly what Obama did to spur the economic growth we are seeing now? Besides repress economic growth for eight years I mean.

tcrosse said...

Could someone on the Left tell me exactly what Obama did to spur the economic growth we are seeing now?

He got the fuck out of the White House. The effect was immediate.

MacMacConnell said...

According to Reuters China is caving to Trump's trade demands.
demandshttps://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/05/chinas-xi-promises-to-lower-tariffs-broaden-market-access-and-import-more.html

WINNING!

John henry said...

I fjnd the size of his rallies pretty amazing. A log of pols would kill to get even 1 or 2 lime tbis.

President Trump has done 26 according to a list in Wimipedia, since October 1. Several timez 2 or 3 on the same day.

He does not have a stump speech. I've listened to 4 or 5 of them.

Common elements for sure but every one is different. Doesn't sound like he's using a teleprompter eitber.

They are not jealous of the big crowds. They are jealous of the ability to do it night after night afterward night.

And 72 yrs old. Think what he'll be like when he matures a nit and really hits his stride.

John Henry

Robert Cook said...

"No, Asshole, that is the exact proscription America needs to hear: that we are all one, regardless of race or creed, that we are Americans. And we can be proud of America. It's the thing we were all promised Obama would do to 'unite America.' And it is the opposite of everything the DNC-Media reports about Trump, 'the divider the hater' every day. He is trying to speak to our better angels and unify the country."

I guess all of Trump's insults and making fun of people is just "funnin'?"

Robert Cook said...

"You all need to remember, Cook's heroes are Che, Mao, Castro etc."

Can you quote me on that?

Robert Cook said...

"BTW, Cookie, as to being conned? I’m still waiting for my $2500 Obamacare reduction.


That's because Obama chose to serve the health care industry and not the people.

That said, millions of people were able to obtain insurance who had been unable to previously. It's not the solution I preferred, but it was better than nothing, (what the Republicans' offered.)

dwick said...

Robert Cook said 11/6/18, 9:21 AM...
What you describe above is substance-free hot air.

Like 9 years of endless minor variations on 'We are the ones we've been waiting for' and 'hope and change' always read from a surrounding array of teleprompters. Trump certainly has no corner on that market.