Q+A presenter Jack Tame is in the US in the lead up to the presidential election. Here, he compares his experiences at the candidates’ campaign rallies.
I’m writing this somewhere on I-95. One of the upsides to the American Interstate system is the roads are so big and wide, you can write on the go and not get carsick. Or at least, I haven’t... yet.
In the last 48 hours we’ve attended a Donald Trump rally in Atlanta, and Kamala Harris’ ‘Closing Argument’ rally in Washington DC.
The vice president of the past four years reminded voters of the dangers Donald Trump posed to democracy. (Source: 1News)
Political rallies are still pretty foreign to a New Zealand sensibility, but between the on-cue cheering, the merch, and the quasi-rock-concert vibe, the Harris and Trump events were more alike than the candidates probably care to admit.
I first attended Trump rallies back in the 2016 campaign. They really haven’t changed all that much.
They last hours by the time you queue up, clear security, and wait for ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ to play for the third time.
You can tell when he finally arrives in the building. The pressure drops. Trump’s personal Secret Service officers press into the arena and the travelling pool photographers run in and crouch before the stage.
The ‘Voice of God’ calls him out: "The 45th and 47th President of these United States..."
In Georgia, most of Trump’s warmup speakers either worked for him or were politicians who personally benefit from his endorsement. His Chief Advisor spoke. His Press Secretary spoke!
The keenest fans have been coming back to the same show for nine years. They know all the words. When Trump says “Kamala Harris?” they all shout, “you’re fired!”
Harris’ warm-up speakers don’t work for her and none were elected officials. They were people with simple stories that very neatly illustrated why her policies worked for them (or why Trump’s didn’t). They were all ‘real’ people. It felt very deliberate.
Her own speech was mercifully brief. The symbolism was what mattered – the veep in front of the White House with a huge crowd before her. One week to go...
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