By Rod Thomson
There’s still something going on with the Trump
presidency that is lost on pollsters, the media and Democrats: The white-hot
support of his base, which is definitely larger and perhaps hotter than in
2016.
This is demonstrated in rally after rally he holds, which
all the talking heads told us was going to peter out. My gosh these people are
wrong a lot. Consider what is happening in the lead up to Trump’s official
campaign 2020 kickoff next week in Orlando.
The President tweeted:
“Wow! Just got word that our June 18th, Tuesday,
ANNOUNCEMENT in Orlando, Florida, already has 74,000 requests for a 20,000 seat
Arena. With all of the big events that we have done, this ticket looks to be
the ‘hottest’ of them all. See you in Florida!”
These numbers will overwhelm the Amway Center’s capacity of 20,000 for an NCAA basketball crowd
maximum. Center stage concerts hold 19,700 while end-stage concerts hold about
16,000. Of course Trump frequently draws more than his venues can hold. He also
did this as a candidate in the primaries. Are any Democrats anywhere near this?
No. Polls do not capture this.
Orange County GOP Chair Charles Hart told the Orlando Sentinel that the extraordinary
request-to-availability ratio for tickets to the kickoff is “epic even for his
rallies…This is a phenomenally hot ticket.”
The campaign will likely set up outdoor screens for
people to watch it live with others even if they cannot get inside Amway.
If the venue held 150,000 (and there is not such a thing)
it’s possible Trump could fill it in Florida. Republican clubs from The
Villages, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami and other Florida
areas have chartered buses to take people to the event.
But here’s the deal. A lot more Republicans would go if
they thought they could get in. Most are aware that the Amway Center is
overwhelmed and have decided not to go to Orlando because their chances of
getting in are minimal.
Anecdotally, I was in a group where several said they
were planning to go until they realized they probably could not get in. It’s a
lot to go through just to stand outside and watch it on large screens.
And yet tens of thousands will likely do just that
— knowing that is what they will be relegated to.
That displays a level of support you don’t see in any
other candidates, or really in any candidates in recent memory. Obama at his
peak did not come close to swamping major venues. And he was going to be the
one to lower the seas!
In addition, it shows the level of organization now in
the Florida Republican Party. The Party was split organizationally and
financially between Rick Scott forces and the statewide party during Scott’s
governorship.
But that is all united now under Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida
GOP Chair Joe Gruters. DeSantis and Gruters were both early and strong
supporters of Trump.
The simple reality is that the state is more unified and
organized than it was in 2016.
And that shows in events such as Trump’s kickoff. The
President picked Florida because of course it is the largest swing state and
critical to victory. But also because the Party is healthier, and no state has
a stronger economy right now.
These are positive trends you will not see reported in
the mainstream media or typically reflected in these broad national polls. But
they can make all the difference in 2020.
