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My Afternoon with Donald Trump
Prescott Valley Event Center just before the event began.
Donald Trump held a rally in Prescott Valley, AZ, this week. I figured that this more rural setting would feature less conflict than his many appearances in downtown Phoenix, allowing me to actually chat with some of Trump’s fans. I’ve been #NeverTrump since he descended the golden elevator last June, yet remain intrigued about his primary victory and the passion of his supporters.
Granted, I soured early on the Trump Train due to the death threats, racism, and anti-Semitism of his anonymous online army, but I realize the alt-right crew is a tiny fraction of the millions who plan to vote him. But this late in the game, would he even draw a big crowd?
Prescott Valley is a mid-sized town 90 miles north of Phoenix. The monochromatic community has an outsized share of Republicans, retirees, and the underemployed, so if anywhere ranks as Trump’s southwestern sweet spot, this is it. As a result, the protestors were few (about 75 in number), but tried to make up for it with creative signage and really bad singing.
Protestors serenade the crowd with accordion and guitar renditions of Woody Guthrie songs.
The fenced-in protest area was across a small road from the Prescott Valley Event Center. A second fence further separated the pro-Trumpers from the anti-Trumpers and several police officers stood by to keep the peace. Several rally attendees walked up to the twin fencing to throw insults and mockery at the protestors, which was returned in kind.
Not surprisingly, the old guys in “Deplorable Lives Matter” T-shirts didn’t agree with the young man holding an “America Was Never Great” sign. While profanities flowed, it never got physical. The cops were alert, but didn’t seem overly concerned about unrest between the two angry groups.
Trump fans (left) and Trump haters (right) shout insults across the four-foot DMZ.
Much of the back-and-forth was civil, and the more intense exchanges faded as cops in sunglasses walked between the fences and asked them to simmer down. Ferguson, this wasn’t.
The line waiting to get into the venue was long. Very long. Police officers on site estimated the snaking queue to be a quarter-mile in length and those at the front had camped out for more than four hours. I recorded a time-lapse video of the line, but only made it about a third of the way through (should have worn sneakers). Shortly after, event staff opened the doors and only about a third made it in.
Like those in line, I downloaded a ticket from the web, but seating was first-come, first-served. The fire marshal limited the crowd to 7,500, but police estimated about 20,000 ticket holders. A large screen behind the venue allowed those outside to watch the speakers live.
Two friendly high schoolers played hooky in style. (And asked for a full review on my iPhone 7 Plus.)
I set about asking Trump voters why they liked their candidate. “Hillary’s a crook!” “Hitlery will destroy America!” “That [expletive] is a [expletive] traitor!” The first reaction by nearly everyone was not to praise their guy, but to hurl invective at his opponent. A large segment was deeply suspicious of my questions and several asked “who sent you?” Those I finally convinced of my conservatism (whatever that means these days) would talk a bit more, often as their spouse tried to yank them away.
No, I didn’t understand this sign either.
As I often do, whenever I saw a man with a military service cap, I thanked him for his service. About half of them gave me dirty looks, while the others muttered “welcome” under their breath, put their head down, and hustled off. A middle-aged man with a Submarine Service hat (a rare site in Arizona) tried to ignore me, but I chased him down. Once I told him what sub I served on and where, he flashed a big smile and shook my hand.
This suspicion of others wasn’t limited to pro-Trump types. When I politely joked with protestors, I received hostile stares followed by requests not to photograph their faces. Two dour young ladies held a sign declaring “Without Immigrants, Trump would have no wives.” I said “funny sign” and took a photo, but could almost feel their dead eyes burning holes in my chest. No smiles on that side of the fence.
That said, several of the Trump attendees were having a grand time. They joked about being “deplorables,” gushed over opening speaker Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and shrugged off the fact they didn’t make it in the arena despite having tickets.
“Look at this crowd,” one 60-something woman exclaimed through a smile. “Trump’s winning in a landslide for sure!”
Published in General
With all the gotcha type videos out there in the media it isn’t surprising that people are wary of people asking questions. They don’t want to end up on a selectivly edited YouTube video.
Did you go and see him speak?
Were you doing or wearing anything that telegraphed your “I’m with her” attitude?
A friend of mine, whether at political events or anywhere else, always accosts self-identifying vets to thank them for their service. Never a dirty look.
Is there something about the violence of your #NeverTrump allies that makes this election unique and scares even vets?
I guess your photo and identification with the notorious Ricochet site was enough to rouse suspicion. I hear it is a hotbed of #Never and Pro Trump activity.
We need to talk about how you pronounce the word “submariner”. It’s so wrong . . .
Fascinating. It is a time of little trust and great suspicion as we move in a time of exceptionally low civic trust in our institutions or each other.
Kudos to you @Jon . That sign made me laugh till I cried (wept is more like it). All the people serving who support Trump that I’ve met here in Texas have been very open and gracious, as per normal. However, at a rally I can see why they would be more on guard. Anyways, I enjoyed your Dinner with Andre the Giant..err Afternoon with Trump.
Or as the not-so-dour @amyschley once put it, “Marrying Donald Trump is one of those jobs that Americans just won’t do.”
This Vietnam vet supports Donald Trump.
I call on Publius Decius Mus for remarks.
“A central conservative dream for a generation has been to find a way to overcome the Democrats’ divisive identity politics by unifying those receptive among all races around some vision of conservatism we can share. The right has failed miserably so far because we try to sell conservative ideas on the terms the left sets for us. (see other conversations on Ricochet today) Yes, America is racist. Our solution? Enterprise zones! Trump has broken this mold by reversing it. His “right” half is unafraid to be called “racist’ for not following the left’s rules, even as his “left” half sells an economic message that most “conservatives” find appalling but that the working classes seem to like.
It may work, it may not—either as a matter of electoral politics or as policy. But if it does, Trump’s trade, globalization and immigration agenda offers a better prospect of actually realizing the dream of a multiracial Republican Party, united around a core economic patriotism, than anything any Republican has offered since Reagan.”
http://amgreatness.com/2016/10/06/oligarchy-or-the-people/
Yes, this is the reason many forces have decided to stop him. He is a threat to a multi trillion dollar gravy train.
We are either a country of equal opportunity or a country of divided serfs run by a core of wealthy elites loyal to a global group of elites.
Keeping us divided is critical to maintaining the status quo.
The Death of Decius Mus in Battle (1618) by Rubens
Damn it Jon,
Did you see this guy? He was looking for the Rally.
Regards,
Jim
I don’t care for any Politicians, but I love what you lay down TKC.
No, if I didn’t make it clear in the article, 20,000 attendees came, but only the first 7,500 were let in. The last to make it inside had been waiting about 3 hours, and I arrived just one hour before he spoke.
Unlike Mr. Trump, I have never been with her, nor am I now. I was wearing dockers and a black button up shirt and looked like the square conservative I am.
I have never received a dirty look either before Tuesday. Most veterans chat with me, swapping stories from the service. I mentioned it, because it seemed very odd.
I haven’t heard of this “violence of my #NeverTrump allies.” There was zero violence at this rally from either side.
Everyone on my boat pronounced it “submarine-er” because “sub-mariner” implies being less than a mariner.
Washington Free Beacon – “Rand Paul Scrubs Anti-Israel Student Reading List from Website: Books laden with anti-Semitic imagery included on senator’s ‘student reading list'”.
Weren’t you a “I Stand With Rand” man?
Ah I see. You mentioned that in the article but didn’t specify where you were in the que . That is an impressive number of people to show up for a rally on a work day.
I was thinking that even if Trump loses this is a movement that won’t silenced, have to wonder what the next few years will be like.
Thanks for the report Jon
Damn it Jon,
What, no violence?!
Regards,
Jim
No. My top four at the beginning of the primaries was:
Since Cruz was the only viable candidate left when my state voted, I chose him.
A little contra-conventional wisdom….
http://axiomstrategies.com/abc/
Analyzing 2016 battleground counties.
Ok, but you were still writing positively about Rand Paul after this stuff came out.
I like a lot of his ideas, but his affiliation with some of the weirdo ideas of his dad always gives me pause.
That’s a good question. Ross Perot has a lot of supporters and has actually created a new political party. Perhaps if he had kept at it to build the party even without him as the next presidential candidate it might have really amounted to something. But once Perot was done running for president, he pretty much dropped out of public life. How much of Donald Trump’s support is driven by his policies and how much is driven by personal charisma?
Hillary Clinton’s support is almost all because of policy and the fact that she has ovaries. People aren’t supporting her campaign because of personality, it’s because of beliefs. But remove Donald Trump from the Trump movement and I believe a lot of enthusiasm would evaporate. I suppose the only way to test the theory is if Donald Trump wins and reverses himself on a lot of issues. What percentage of his supporters would feel betrayed, meaning they are there for the ideals? What percentage will make excuses for him, meaning they are there for the man?
Well, “sub-mariner” seems appropriate. I like sailors that can keep the boat from sinking.
Because that’s how you say it. My grandfather was a submariner in WWII and my uncle during and after Vietnam.
Did you watch any of the rally on the screen outside? I don’t recall such a torturing campaign season where there is so much animosity – Bush/Gore was close, but not this bad. Kids today have no historical references for today’s events – none at all – so much indoctrination – they just believe t-shirt slogans like one I saw for sale today on a “dummy” outside of Abercrombie & Fitch – it read See Ya Later Haters – So who are the haters? Pick one – there’s enough to go around for everyone. What happened to the days where the candidates were both experienced, upstanding citizens duking out above the belt? Can’t wait til this miserable thing is over!
Well, “moke” means “donkey”, and by extension, apparently “inferior horse” or “redneck”.
And I think “unmoral” means “tried to think of the word ‘unethical’ and failed”.
Is Hillary ahead in the polls in your state by more than five points? If not, then unless you are supporting Trump, you are effectively with Hillary.
Many protestors are humorless, especially if they believe you don’t share their vision. One night I was in a staging area that was a block away from a protest. Helmet on, with my baton leaning against a police car. Two young ladies walked by with their signs on the way to the rally. I said what’s the cause this month ladies? One laughed and the other was grim and told her friend let’s go. As they were leaving the one who laughed said to her friend, Come on that was funny. Be careful out there I called out as they walked away.
Good report. And yet if polls are to be trusted, I don’t see any reason not to trust them, Hillary is pulling away into a decisive lead. It seems like rallies aren’t enough to win, you actually have to be the “great” you want to create. And in my opinion there is nothing great about Trump or Hillary.
PS Not supporting one doesn’t equate supporting the other as we have hashed out on this site a million times by now.