I just attended a Trump rally - Everett, Washington

So I have never been to a political rally before, so this was an enlightening experience all the way around. Me and my wife went together mostly to people watch and to experience history. We aren't anti-Trump OR anti-Clinton. We were kind of favoring Bernie, but I guess we are still in limbo. Anyways, this occurred at the Everett, Washington rally and here's the facts as seen:

Night before the event, the news was saying that it would be crowded there cause the 9,000 seat stadium will have to deal with the 13,000 tickets given out. I went online an hour later and got our tickets (event was free).
We chose to go spur of the moment and lef tmy wife's work at 4pm. The radio stated Trump landed and was motorcading there basically right as we were driving over the access highway we had to go on. I'd say us and Trump got there at the same time - roughly 4:30pm.
The event was planned to start at 7pm and people let in at 4pm. As we pulled up, there was a gigantic line around the three block Court House zone that is next to the stadium. Parking is a mess here but we easily find it in the Court House underground lot. Once on the street we discover we have to walk clear on the other side of the Court House. While doing so, we find out that the line is not single file, but like most event lines and is a few people wide...but that it in fact snakes around the entire three blocks and then doubles back on itself...so basically 6 blocks of line. But that's not all! After you round the Court House, you go back up a road one block, down a small hill two blocks, then turn right and go down one block to the single entrance. Yes, that's how long the line was and the actual crowd.
I'll be honest here, we pulled a slicky boy and managed to skip the entire 3 block doubled around fiasco. A guy collapsed and the crowd all rushed to help, EMTs and police after that. As the crowd fanned out the let the pros help, we managed to wander into the line almost as the 3 block circling ended. I really didn't want to risk not getting in, so sue me! Oh and the guy was ok and me and my wife were actually ready to do CPR as we are certified.
Protestors....ok, so until the last right turn and one block walk to the door, there were only a handful of protestors. Most roads were blocked but the ones that weren't had occasional cars go by and all were anti-Trump. While the entirety of the line was very well mannered and nice, every single car and protestor until that last block were very mean...flipping us all off, shouting things, sometimes an occasional thing thrown. The only thing I saw the line do was chant "Build that wall" as a group of protestors walked by chanting a Black Lives Matter type message.
Once we hit the last one block straight-away walk the way it was set up was the right hand sidewalk was for the line and the road was for protestors. There were problably 1,000 protestors. Most of the ones we encountered first were pretty billergerant and one group were on the edge of fighting this one solo college age guy wearing a Trump flag as a cape and holding a US Flag. I was worried cause the cops were half a block away and there were a dozen agressive protestors confronting him. Nothing happened but I felt it was super close. As we hit the main intersection were the stadium door is, the protestors were massed there behind a metal barrier. There were lots of signs, but not alot of noise. Just a few people on megaphones and generic crowd noise. They mostly appeared to be spectators, but really for the Seattle area and being so passive I'm not surprised.
Getting in was a small mess. The tickets said no dress code, just bring no pro cameras, GoPros, selfie sticks and tripods. However, right at the door, they said no water bottles. My wife was pissed and had to leave her new Contigo bottle on a wall outside with the hundreds of other bottles. Then we rapidly cleared a metal detector, ran to the bathroom and then down to the floor or pit, however you call it.
As we walked down the stairs, I'd estimate that there were a couple, maybe as much as 4,000 already in the stadium and most seats taken. The floor only had a few hundred down there and we wanted to get close. With zero effort we found ourselves 7 or so people deep and about 30 feet from his podium. As the warm up acts or speakers were going, we were slowly drifting closer and finally ended 20 feet if that from the actual podium and only 4 people deep. As far as numbers, the speakers and Trump himself said they set an attendance record for the building. I wouldn't be surprised really....by the end, the floor was completely packed and every seat, except the very top three rows directly behind the stage in the rafters, were taken. In fact, most isles had people standing in them as well.
Before the speakers started, the commentator said that if anyone protests, do no touch them and to instead point and chant "Trump, Trump, Trump" and the security and police will handle it. I was shocked that there were only 7 or 8 protests and each one was a solitary person. The chanting thing really did work, even though I was very skeptical. Actually, I thought it was very smart because it made it feel like it wasn't a distraction. I never even heard the protestors and they only had tiny signs, nothing big or even moderate happened. Every time there was a chant though, Trump would stop talking, back off the podium, do his thumbs up thing and then within 30 seconds, the protestors were gone and Trump was talking again.
The crowd inside was very energetic, loud, but nice and respectful. My wife is tiny - 4'11" and 118 (don't be fooled, she's an Olympic weightlifter) and the crowd in the pit were all very nice, making sure she could see, asking her and anytime anyone got slightly bumped, people said sorry. I really expected it to be like people from where I'm from in Hillbilly Land and the crowd to be full of crazed rednecks and all that, but it wasn't.
As for the speeches and stuff, very well done, normal rhetoric, telepromter for Trump though, so I guess that's a change. Rudy talked for 15 mins, the RNC chairman 15 mins and Trump an hour. Oh, and I'm 98% sure Stacey Dash of Clueless was there in the VIP section.

We dashed out of the pit as soon as Trump started walking slowly on his raised pathfrom the stage and made it out of the builiding in minutes and within 10 mins of leaving the pit, we were out of the garage and on the main road. All said, we were hitting our exit to our house by 8:45pm.

So there's my report from a rally. Sorry if I rampbled on and on, but I have heard from the beginning all the stories about Trump events and I wanted to see for myself and give a true viewpoint. I wouldn't be surprised to see commenters on here that were there. There was a a guy in line with an InfoWars t-shirt on afterall.

Please keep the political debating to a minimum or not at all in this thread. That's not what this is for. I worte this to discuss the realities of a Trump rally.

a reply to: gymbeau2000


And in other news Hillary struggles to fill a small hanger and is either cancelling gigs or dare I say paying people to attend???..

But she is ahead in the Polls right????


RA

The manners and decorum speak to the intelligence of Seattle's residents. It's a progressive city, with educated people. Perhaps many of them also attended Bernie's rallies.....which were phenomenal.

So - beyond the description of the "from the floor experience" (and thanks for that! Cool!) what did he say, and did it have any influence on your political decision-making process?

I'd like to go see him just for the history-making social and cultural phenomenon of it.

a reply to: slider1982

THIS IS NOT ABOUT HILLARY.

Jesus, you people are impossible.
The OP said right off the bat that he was a Bernie guy. Stick to the topic.

Yet with all that attendance at these rallies, Hillary still manages to be "leading"? No....

a reply to: gymbeau2000

Mr. Trump! Tear down that wall of text!

originally posted by: slider1982
a reply to: gymbeau2000


And in other news Hillary struggles to fill a small hanger and is either cancelling gigs or dare I say paying people to attend???..

But she is ahead in the Polls right????


RA

Yes.
I have seen ONE Hillary bumper sticker so far in this cycle. ONE.

Maybe she should start paying people to put bumper stickers on their cars?

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: gymbeau2000

Mr. Trump! Tear down that wall of text!

I see paragraphs.

So I went back and gave the OP a star and flag.
I almost forgot.
Thanks for helping to remind me.

I liked the part about making sure everyone knew not to get violent with the anti-Trump protestors, and point them out while shouting Trump for the authorities to handle. That's how it's done.

Never get violent, let your enemies commit all the acts of barbarism. They want to be animals let them be animals, they're the ones who look worse for having done it.

Addendum: I also liked Trump encouraging the non-violent behavior with a thumbs up.

a reply to: gymbeau2000

So, thanks for the report. I give you and your wife credit for going. These days, I personally am not a big crowd person, but as you said it is historical.

Now, did your experience move your position to vote or not vote for Trump? No republican has won Washington State in ages, since Reagan. I guess give Trump credit. He is showing up everywhere, and reaching out to America.

I watched the full event on YT Trump Live, and was impressed with the event, the audience seemed really pumped and I thought Trump kept true to his message, which I personally enjoy listening to. I heard nothing racist, demeaning, bigoted, but, rather, a Patriotic message and a definite outreach to ALL Americans.

And similarly, showing up in a historically Blue State, I heard him make a sincere outreach to the minority population (blacks and latino's) that he wants to bring jobs back to help everyone and the inner cities.

Did you change your views? Or are you still on the fence? Personally, at this point, it is hard for me to believe anyone could be still on the fence. However, I am aware that the debates are coming, and am open minded to think they could make a difference. Plus, any late breaking news that could affect a candidates qualifications. Right now, I am a Trump voter.

Thanks again. S+F

Cheers

a reply to: gymbeau2000

Excellent commentary mate, indeed, attending a Trump rally would be pretty awesome to experience - the crowds, the sledging, The Trumpet and the energy levels everyone talks about.

I really like the way you articulated the before and after observations from a personal point of view and to be able to share that experience with your significant other makes it all the more special.

Cheers for the run-down.

a reply to: butcherguy

On my phone, I see a couple of paragraphs but most of them aren't double spaced so on the mobile it's pretty much a giant wall of text.

a reply to: gymbeau2000

Thank you for that report.
It's really nice to get a first hand account of something most of us won't get a chance to witness.
S&F

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: butcherguy

On my phone, I see a couple of paragraphs but most of them aren't double spaced so on the mobile it's pretty much a giant wall of text.

Ahh, ok.
I just pulled it up on my phone to see.
There are 12 paragraphs that I counted looking at my phone.

Maybe we need a rule limiting how many sentences there are in a paragraph on ATS.

originally posted by: iTruthSeeker
Yet with all that attendance at these rallies, Hillary still manages to be "leading"? No....

...Yes...

He's polling ahead in all the places you would expect.

Large crowds at events are not an indication of how many people will go out and vote on election day. The vast majority of voters do not attend political events other than voting on that day itself.

The two things are basically unrelated and to use his crowd size as a means to somehow insinuate that the polls are all faked in favor of Hillary is just nonsense.

~Tenth

a reply to: gymbeau2000
Thanks for the report.

I think the excitement that both Bernie and Trump have spurned in this election,(as well as Ron Paul previously) is a good thing. II have personally seen people that were pretty much non political get very into this election over these two people. The fact that this excitement was for both of these candidates despite the mainstream medias attempt to ignore or attack both of them shows me that people are waking up to the rigged system.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

I would guess that at least half of those attending Trump's rallies are just like the OP - not Trump fans, just those wanting to see what will happen at one of his rallies. So no, I don't think attendance numbers are any indication of support.

a reply to: gymbeau2000

So, I don't like Trump, but don't worry I am going to be on topic.😄 So all of these people in line are chanting "build that wall", as we all know (I am sure his staff made him)The Donald has been a little softer, I feel for two reasons, he can't win with absolutely no Minority support, and two he was advised to, because he was acting like a mad man!

What during the rally was said about the wall and deportation of illegals? Since those seem to be all his campaign was focused on for the greater part of his campaign, and what did he say about world political stance and policy?

a reply to: kaylaluv

So no, I don't think attendance numbers are any indication of support.

It is a political rally.
The people that don't support him are the nasty violent ones outside shouting epithets at the people waiting in line (the ones in line are the people that you say don't necessarily support Trump).

I am not seeing this the same way that you are, but that is what makes us a great and varied nation.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Maybe I'm putting on my paranoid conspiratorial hat here but before polling really took off rally attendance was a big factor in determining who was doing well.

Are we really so certain it's irrelevant as you say? Or is that a lie we've been led to believe? Do we have absolute proof that what your saying is fact?

It just seems to me rather convenient that anytime there's anti-establishment candidate like Ron Paul, Bernie, etc, they pull crazy massive crowds, but the crowds mean nothing excuse is always used. While polling, something the establishment can actually control and lie about is the true way to determine who's winning.

I think it's possible the wool is being pulled over our eyes. They set a narrative then supply the results of said narrative, despite time and time again what everyone sees with their own eyes never line up with those results.

Something is starting to smell really fishy here, and I'm not buying the story you or the establishment are peddling anymore. It only ever benefits the choices of the establishment.