In an earlier diary today there were lots of comments arguing about the crowd size versus the venue size and so on. I thought the remarks on that subject were irrelevant. According to the local newspaper, there were 5-7,000 in attendance. That’s a good-sized crowd. Prior to the rally I, and I assume many North Carolinians, received this email from NC Senator Thom Tillis:
“President Trump works harder than anyone in Washington to fight for you. He’s flying down to North Carolina to hold a rally to ensure our Republican candidate wins the first major special congressional election of the 2020 election, happening on Tuesday. Why? Because he can’t stand the thought of the Pelosi-AOC Majority gaining another seat in Congress. As the Senator from North Carolina, I have the honor of meeting President Trump before the rally. I want to show him a list of all the Americans who are so grateful for the fight he’s waging on our behalf that they even made a contribution to ensure victory in North Carolina. Please make a contribution before President Trump’s rally at 7 P.M. TONIGHT -- and let’s surprise him with how much we’ve raised for our North Carolina Victory Fund. If we lose this race, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nancy Pelosi will believe that they have the upper hand going into the 2020 election. Their radical agenda will take an even darker turn. And of course, every Democrat running for the White House will believe that they have a real chance of defeating President Trump in the Tar Heel State next November.
We can’t let it happen. Please make a contribution before President Trump’s rally at 7 P.M. TONIGHT -- and let’s surprise him with how much we’ve raised for our North Carolina Victory Fund.
Thank you,
Sen. Thom Tillis North Carolina”
I did not watch the rally nor have I read a transcript of what was said by whom, but I can guarantee the emphasis was not on any issues of importance to our future. The emphasis was most certainly on instilling fear of “socialism” or “communism” and loss of “freedom” and some undefined “radical agenda” that will fill our communities with foreign (brown or black-skinned people) rapists and looters and thieves if Democrats are elected, and any other vague threat the speakers thought would resonate. There were a few protestors outside, and true to form in this GOP controlled police state, the crowd was happy to see the police remove them — fuck the Constitution and the right to peacefully protest— because the crowd didn’t want to hear or see those protestors.
If anyone thinks Trump’s supporters are going to be influenced by his corruption or bigotry or, obvious to the rest of us, insanity, they’re wrong. Trump supporters eat this shit up...and the only “issues” that might make a difference to them are those that might directly, immediately, and personally impact them. Climate Change?...nah! Logging our National Forests?...nope. Pedophilia or “grabbing someone’s pussy?” — not that either.
The only way to reach these people is to scare them. Tell them they’ve been duped and show them how it’s being done and what it means to them. Make them doubt what they’re hearing from the GOP. Make them angry. That’s exacly what the GOP is doing and we have to fight fire with fire if we want to stop Trump.
