Per MSNBC: Trump Campaign gives 18,000 tickets for a 1400 seat venue in Vermont

[nolabear]

They've told the people who set up speakers outside to arrive early. There's also a rather large contingent of anti-Trump protesters who plan to attend. In Vermont. In January.

The sheriff is expressing concern.

I'll bet.

I'll pop the popcorn.

[Little Star]

1. Anyone have a clue as to why Trump is doing this?....

Makes no sense to me.

[cali]

2. Publicity

[sufrommich]

4. Yep. nt

[nolabear]

5. Oh, right. Any publicity is good publicity?

I wish I could just ignore the little fuckweasel but this is one of the strangest times in American history that I can imagine.

[Little Star]

14. It really is weird but I would die if he ever made...

it anywhere near the Whitehouse. He is such a sleeze.

[nolabear]

3. I know. Me either.

[pinboy3niner]

8. To thwart protesters' plans to get most of the original tickets & not attend...

...thus leaving Trump speaking to a nearly-empty hall. By issuing a flood of thousands more tickets, the Trump campaign is assured of filling all the seats--and the safety of the public and the police be damned.

[renate]

36. interesting... that actually makes sense

Did I just say that about a Trump rally?

[Punkingal]

9. Yes, to create a narrative about having a huge crowd in Bernie's backyard.

[riversedge]

10. Vermont?

[2naSalit]

35. He'll bus them in. nt

[Cal Carpenter]

6. The total population of Burlington is only 43000 or so

I wonder if they're just trying to spread the invites as far as possible hoping they'll get a full house.

I mean, the population of the whole area isn't that big, and I would almost expect more protestors than supporters up there, LOL. There are no other major population areas up there - it is far, far from the nearest major cities (Albany, Boston, the more populated areas of NH), so I just can't even fathom that 18,000 people would actually show up in Burlington in support of Trump.

I dunno, just thinking aloud. I've only been up there a few times and it has been years, but it just seems too isolated for that type of crowd to show up.

[cali]

13. Evidently most of those currently in line are from NY

[Cal Carpenter]

18. Are there any estimates of the crowd size yet?

Plattsburgh is even smaller than Burlington. I'm sure there are plenty of folks in those rural areas who are likely Trump supporters, but I'm still really skeptical and DU is my only real source of info at the moment.

I found this quote:

“If Phish was holding a free concert at the Flynn and gave away 20,000 free tickets, we would cancel the event out of public safety concerns,” Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo told the Burlington Free Press. “We are committed to accommodating the campaign because political speech is the very essence of the First Amendment.”

I just can't imagine that this is comparable to Phish giving out that many free tickets. For Phish, people come from the other side of the country for any show. I liken this Trump situation to when you're leaving a summer concert venue and they hand you free tickets to next week's show featuring 3 has-been 70s bands with no original members left. Which no one would use. Handing out free tickets does not equate with people showing up.

Anyway, I'm just procrastinating and overthinking this, I guess. Curious to see how it all shapes out. I think your earlier comment - "Publicity" - says it all, regardless of the actual crowd size when all is said and done.

[cali]

26. No estimates of current crowd size but the trump campaign says 6,500 people

who have tickets have confirmed.

[Cal Carpenter]

27. Thanks for the scoop

6,500 seems more realistic to me. I just can't wrap my head around much more than that.

[randys1]

7. Can the campaign be indicted for incitement to riot? Clearly what they are doing is KNOWINGLY

creating unsafe conditions.

[sufrommich]

15. They'll allow 1400 in and set up loudspeakers outside for overflow.

That may be irresponsible but it's not inciting a riot.

[cali]

16. I just heard the police aren't allowing them to set speakers up outside

[sufrommich]

17. That's interesting,although I expect the Trump campaign

will turn that into portraying themselves as victims,which may have been the plan to begin with.

[SamKnause]

28. Hi Cali.

Where are you getting your information from ???

What time does the event start tonight ???

Where can I watch the event ???

Thanks in advance.

[cali]

29. Hi, Sam. Starts at 7. I'm getting my info from local sources

including live blogs and where a link

https://m.

[randys1]

19. If you know you wont have room and invite an extra ten thousand people, you are

at a minimum knowingly creating an unsafe condition.

[Hortensis]

11. My guess it's 90% visuals. To pump up the impression

of overwhelming people swarming to see him. The rest will be "spin" suggesting people swarming to see him.

Remember, the vast majority of Americans read very little related to politics. Most don't see much TV coverage either, but the vast majority of that is extremely brief, visual-oriented, and either outright propaganda and/or selected/distorted to serve the news-business profit motive. I.e., audience share.

We all know this. But watch the news one of these evenings for real. If you have the stomach. Measure the time given to political events, note the specific information relayed to those who actually view it, on which candidates, and try to guess how much "understanding" can be gleaned from it. It'll probably be dreadfully misleading, nothing/nil at best, but any visuals will be worth 1000 lying or truthful words. Trump's sure to be covered, and their challenge is to present a show that is to both to his advantage and profitable to the networks.

[nolabear]

23. I recently read a post somewhere by a professional cameraman re those rallies.

You know the schtick: "They have a cameraman at the back of the room who only shows the podium so you won't know how big the crowd is." He said they always have both a static and hand-held cameras that shot the crowds for later editing. As usual he just repeats lies over and over and never gets called out for them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Depends n the outlet

Cspan does not show anything but the candidate

Everybody else likes to shoot the B Roll of the crowd

[Hortensis]

34. Umhm. Just like CSPAN coverage of Congress

after the GOP was embarrassed by coverage of Gingrich bloviating to an empty room. Too much truth for the people. BTW, I want THAT fixed too. I stopped watching CSPAN a long time ago, when it stopped providing insight, but we should have what it was meant to be.

[spanone]

12. i get m$nbc on sirius in my car. i used to listen. now it's trump central. i hate it.

[nolabear]

24. I know. I'm conflicted about it. But it's hard to look away.

Terrifying and fascinating.

[KamaAina]

20. I can't wait for his treasury secretary (Bernie Madoff?) to start issuing Monopoly money

[NightWatcher]

21. Who are Trump's people? Does he have people?

Like it or not there is a chance that Don could end up as Prez. Who are his stooges who might end up in political office? Is Omarosa going to be his VP, his daughter the SOS.

There have to be people angling for positions with him, don't there? I doubt he'll install current Party members into office.

[nolabear]

25. My question too. All his campaign reps are nuts. I'm not sure he knows what they're doing.

Or cares. He's the figurehead, he wants to be president, and like GWB he's liable to have some absolutely terrifying people actually making the policy.

[Initech]

22. Extra butter for me please!

[winter is coming]

30. So Trump offers something he can't possibly deliver on and leaves his supporters out in the cold.

This will be full of win.

[cali]

31. My guess is that many are protesters