Folks just didn't even come downtown in numbers exceeding 20K.
Yes, people griped about standing at checkpoints, or standing hours outside the arena, but folks didn't go home because of those reasons. There just were not 20k attenders going downtown in the first place. The huge news is the webcast numbers broke all records for Trump. Folks stayed home but watched in massive numbers, and that's BESIDES the network coverage. Reasons.. & Real Reasons |
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1. Pandemic?
Yep, that's a legit and respectable reason. Retired Americans love rallies and populate the auditoriums in historically huge numbers. But the dangers of this pandemic are especially worrisome to the older folks.
Yep, that's a legit and respectable reason. Retired Americans love rallies and populate the auditoriums in historically huge numbers. But the dangers of this pandemic are especially worrisome to the older folks.
2. Civil Unrest?
Yeah, but only for folks who feel vulnerable. Families may have been more concerned for kids, and especially if they have a fearful prejudice about Tulsa, as a dangerous place. But I think the real reason is partly connected to this. It's the gauntlet you pass through to get into the arena.
Yeah, but only for folks who feel vulnerable. Families may have been more concerned for kids, and especially if they have a fearful prejudice about Tulsa, as a dangerous place. But I think the real reason is partly connected to this. It's the gauntlet you pass through to get into the arena.
3. Too Hard To Endure, Physically?
Yep! This is the biggest factor. The narrative over the past week was that only 5% of those seeking tickets, would ever attain a coveted arena seat. That's a screw up by the Trump Campaign management. They won't make that mistake a gain. National news reported on lines forming last Sunday in front of the arena. SoonerPolitics even told folks they need to get into Tulsa by Friday, lest the interstates become parking lots (a la Dan's Bake Sale in Ft. Collins, CO - 1992).
The perception was that either you camp out downtown overnight, or be resigned to the idea of watching it from outside the arena, standing on concrete for hours in the hot sun. As someone nursing severe sunburn and very sore feet 24 hours later, I can say that it takes a huge amount of physical endurance to attend a rally on this scale.
Yep! This is the biggest factor. The narrative over the past week was that only 5% of those seeking tickets, would ever attain a coveted arena seat. That's a screw up by the Trump Campaign management. They won't make that mistake a gain. National news reported on lines forming last Sunday in front of the arena. SoonerPolitics even told folks they need to get into Tulsa by Friday, lest the interstates become parking lots (a la Dan's Bake Sale in Ft. Collins, CO - 1992).
The perception was that either you camp out downtown overnight, or be resigned to the idea of watching it from outside the arena, standing on concrete for hours in the hot sun. As someone nursing severe sunburn and very sore feet 24 hours later, I can say that it takes a huge amount of physical endurance to attend a rally on this scale.
4. Blocked out?
Nope, not even a small reason. The protesters never impeded more than 1 of the 3 gates, and that one was reopened within very few minutes without any violent police action. There were no reports of violence in this group of very loud protesters. They were assertive, but not unruly. The protesters need to be commended on this narrow point. They were lawful at 4th & Boulder Ave., on Saturday afternoon.
I ran screenshots of traffic flow from Google maps all day long. Tulsa's highways and roads did not cause anyone to miss the rally, if they had come at a reasonable time before the president arrived.
Nope, not even a small reason. The protesters never impeded more than 1 of the 3 gates, and that one was reopened within very few minutes without any violent police action. There were no reports of violence in this group of very loud protesters. They were assertive, but not unruly. The protesters need to be commended on this narrow point. They were lawful at 4th & Boulder Ave., on Saturday afternoon.
I ran screenshots of traffic flow from Google maps all day long. Tulsa's highways and roads did not cause anyone to miss the rally, if they had come at a reasonable time before the president arrived.
5. Workers on Strike?
I can't give credence to this as hampering attendance. There may have been some shift changes by public health workers, but I went through the line at about 3:40pm. that was after the main rush went through in the 10am-3pm massive migration. Thousands were in the arena, and thousands more were kept outside in the piped off lines for Hours! After about an hour of standing on hard concrete, I needed to move. About that time I was tipped off that a protest had developed 4 blocks away, at the gate where I came in. After covering the protest, I had to completely go through the 4 checkpoints in 4 blocks, and get back to the arena around 7pm. Every time I was able to get through without any wait. I had bags checked, temp checked, wristband issued, plus mask & sanitizer issued. If folks came after the president arrived, That may be a legit secret service restriction on getting in. But no, the security people did not cause a low turnout.
I can't give credence to this as hampering attendance. There may have been some shift changes by public health workers, but I went through the line at about 3:40pm. that was after the main rush went through in the 10am-3pm massive migration. Thousands were in the arena, and thousands more were kept outside in the piped off lines for Hours! After about an hour of standing on hard concrete, I needed to move. About that time I was tipped off that a protest had developed 4 blocks away, at the gate where I came in. After covering the protest, I had to completely go through the 4 checkpoints in 4 blocks, and get back to the arena around 7pm. Every time I was able to get through without any wait. I had bags checked, temp checked, wristband issued, plus mask & sanitizer issued. If folks came after the president arrived, That may be a legit secret service restriction on getting in. But no, the security people did not cause a low turnout.
Campaign Manager Brad Parscales may be blamed for allowing a bandwagon narrative to result in a low turnout. But his million+ registrants will still be a goldmine database for voter profiling and fundraising. the text messages I've gotten over the past week have been very effective in raising money which not only paid the millions it cost to do the Tulsa rally, but also will fund the voter targeting technology that Parscales is a master of.
