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| The crowd stretched as far as the eye could see-- even beyond this photo! |
Many of those people camped out over night, in the cold sea air to get into the rally, and once admitted nearly everyone waited hours outdoors (most in standing room only) for the Star of the Show to appear. Set to arrive at 5 pm, he didn't start speaking till 6:20. But they all waited and greeted him with unabashed glee.
What is it about Donald Trump that commands such unbridled devotion and sets off such a rock star frenzy?
Our friend Matt Rooney (who was on site yesterday) called it "the greatest show on earth" which is, of course, the moniker for the famous Ringling Brothers Circus. But this is an extravaganza of one -- one man. Trump doesn't travel with acrobats or fire eaters or lion tamers or tightrope walkers or even a ring master. There's no emcee and though Trump does occasionally have what might be termed "warm up" speakers, they're usually bereft of star quality and just this side of forgettable.
When the Big Moment arrives, Trump doesn't approach the platform with an entourage. There are no waving banners ahead of him or alongside him; there's no supporting cast; there no visible pageantry. It's just him, walking up a long ramp to the tune of of the Lee Greenwood anthem Proud To Be An American. Yes, other GOP candidates have used this song in the past but somehow Trump has inimically made it his own.
In this three ring circus there's only one ring, one act, one spotlight, one performance and one star. And he's not the least bit modest about it, either. In fact, Trump will remind his audience how lucky they are to be there and how fortunate they are to have waited all that time to see him even if the only thing they can see is an image projected onto a Jumbotron. Still, the crowd loves it. And they devour his bravado!
Other big time pols have to commandeer celebrities in an effort to summon up this kind of mass adulation. Biden needs to call upon the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Queen Latifah. Obama had Oprah and Beyonce and Jay-Z. Clinton had Barbra Streisand and even George Bush had Arnold Schwarzenegger.
What is it about Donald Trump that commands such unbridled devotion and sets off such a rock star frenzy?
Our friend Matt Rooney (who was on site yesterday) called it "the greatest show on earth" which is, of course, the moniker for the famous Ringling Brothers Circus. But this is an extravaganza of one -- one man. Trump doesn't travel with acrobats or fire eaters or lion tamers or tightrope walkers or even a ring master. There's no emcee and though Trump does occasionally have what might be termed "warm up" speakers, they're usually bereft of star quality and just this side of forgettable.
When the Big Moment arrives, Trump doesn't approach the platform with an entourage. There are no waving banners ahead of him or alongside him; there's no supporting cast; there no visible pageantry. It's just him, walking up a long ramp to the tune of of the Lee Greenwood anthem Proud To Be An American. Yes, other GOP candidates have used this song in the past but somehow Trump has inimically made it his own.
In this three ring circus there's only one ring, one act, one spotlight, one performance and one star. And he's not the least bit modest about it, either. In fact, Trump will remind his audience how lucky they are to be there and how fortunate they are to have waited all that time to see him even if the only thing they can see is an image projected onto a Jumbotron. Still, the crowd loves it. And they devour his bravado!
Other big time pols have to commandeer celebrities in an effort to summon up this kind of mass adulation. Biden needs to call upon the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Queen Latifah. Obama had Oprah and Beyonce and Jay-Z. Clinton had Barbra Streisand and even George Bush had Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But Donald Trump? Well, he doesn't need any of 'em because he's his own celebrity.
Donald Trump is his own brand. He's Trump Tower and Mar-a-lago and Trump National and Trump Plaza and The Apprentice and Trump International all rolled into one. Over the course of more seven decades, this is a man who has known and hobnobbed with everyone who was anyone. He flicks the rich and famous off his blue suit jacket as if they were gnats. Trump knows the difference between earned fame and simply being famous for being famous. He's been down on the ground with the people who actually built those skyscrapers with his name shimmering on the top of them.
So, yesterday he could tell the mammoth crowd at the rally that "we are the same" and make it reasonably believable. No joke, Joe!
How did this happen?
Trump is unique. He comes across as real -- as daring, as audacious, as unstoppable. He's the man on the flying trapeze who grabs the bar in the nick of time and never needs a net. He's the tightrope walker who always makes it to the other side. He's the lion tamer who deflects the beast and saves you from your worst nightmare. He takes your breath away and, yes -- sometimes even scares the hell out of you. But it's all real and he's here to tell you: "Don't worry, you can be bold, you can take these chances and it'll be okay in the end." And that's the DNA of Trump's appeal.
Donald Trump is selling the American Dream and inside that dream is a kryptonite called hope. Trump gives all those who've been left out or who feel left out the hope that they're being heard; that someone understands; that someone will tame the beast called inflation; will help them grasp the trapeze of a brighter tomorrow and will guide them across the tightrope of daily existence to a better life.
Look into the faces of the people at that rally. Really look at them. If you can't see there are tens of millions of people in Joe Biden's America who are desperately thirsting for what Donald Trump is selling, then you haven't been paying attention.
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