Inna and I are going to the “Ugly” Ken Paxton rally tomorrow in San Antonio (Freeman Coliseum, seating capacity 11,700) so we can see what a Trump rally is like first hand. I asked @Aspenglow if it were OK if I started a “livestream” thread and was told that it’s OK, so here it is.
To pre-answer some questions:
“Why?” - Because life is about experiences.
“Are you supporting Trump?” - No, of course not. Don’t be silly.
“Are you paying for this?” - No, tickets were free. Parking may not be, however.
Note: I’m just going to post thoughts, not video. Technically not a “livestream”, but let’s not get caught up in the particulars here.
Question: Is there anything you would like for me to look out for? If so, I’ll be sure to put that in top of mind tomorrow and answer the question.
In this thread you will not be seen as a Paxton and/or Trump supporter, but in almost all the other reports, audio, visual and written, you will be put out as a supporter.
I’m curious how many people will be there, how enthusiastic they appear, whether Trump looks alert and with it, whether he says anything especially weird or scary… Lots of stuff.
I’d really love to get an understanding of what it feels like among the true believers right now. From the outside it seems like there is a lot of anxiety, despair, and disillusion among MAGA, but I’m the perfect mark for that kind of anecdotal reporting that I want to be true.
I’d love to know if the flag wavers still think things are going okay, or if even they’re starting to doubt.
I’d be interested in your impression re the Latino/Hispanic presence. A few? v. huge turnout? Also, Black attendance (although the Black population of San Antonio isn’t high). The Hispanic population of the city is over 50%, however.
Thanks, @JohnT. We’ll hope for the best, but it’s always nice when we have buy-in from the OP before needing to move a thread to the Pit. IF we need to, of course.
Though the rallies clearly lend themselves to selection bias (ie, these are essentially the True Believers), I’d be very interested in knowing if you can engage any of the attendees, and – if so – if you find them thoughtful and informed – IOW, at odds with the stereotypes caricatured and portrayed comedically on YouTube channels like Jordan Klepper (The Daily Show) and The Good Liars.
At the Ohio highschool rally, no token blacks were in evidence in the close cropped video. As soon as he started speaking after the introduction, people behind him were bailing. Check if the same happens there. Any attempt of the Dotard to speak Spanish (or english) should be noted as well.
Watch out for giving up any personal identification. Or use alfredenewmen@aol.ru.
I’ll echo @Aspenglow’s “thank you in advance” as a moderator.
I’d be interested (in the way your eyes get drawn to a horrible car crash by the side of the road) to see how much Trump-specific grifting goes on simultaneously with the Paxton boosting.
It’ll be interesting to note how much of Trump’s “focus on me” is going on despite the reports it’s a drag on the rest of the ticket (well, Paxton has countless issues of his own).
And if the merchandise is being sold vigorously. Assuming anyone at the rally is already a big booster, seeing the sale might be telling on where the money is going these days.
I half wanted to wear pro-Democrat clothing, but that’s possibly an invitation to violence against you and yours given previous events, so I’m assuming you’re wearing neutral clothing. Of course, comfortable blue clothes without any logos might pass…
Eh, you decide for yourself. And thanks again for taking one for the team, I for one cannot stand his voice or even gestures anymore.