The Final Rallies Tell Quite A Story

[Edgewater_Joe]

I wanted to compare the final rallies of each campaign -- and boy, do I see some good stuff from our perspective! There is much you can learn if you know the fundamentals of stage management. Let me explain:

After that 200,000+ effort in my home town of Cleveland for Kerry's final rally (and how cool was it for Springsteen to dedicate "Thunder Road" to Kristin Breitweiser?), I see C-SPAN and notice that Bush's final "rally" -- which is in Dallas (he couldn't slip it into a battleground state?) -- is either in a tiny, tiny hall that seats 5,000 max, or worse is packed into the narrow end of a basketball arena (sort of where the backstage area usually is for a rock concert). And well past prime time, to boot (you can bet Kerry's appearance is still being played throughout Ohio's 11 p.m. news).

If this is the Repubs' idea of inspiring their people the night before the election to get out and vote, then either they're supremely arrogantly confident about tomorrow ... or they already know it's over, because this doesn't look to me to be the kind of last-ditch campaigning of an all-out campaign that is ready to win.

I've been acting on the assumption that both parties' internal polls are telling a story we aren't privy to because they have a better gauge on likely voters and new voters. I've also seen Dem campaigns end on the kind of vaguely hopeless note that it looks like Bush is acting on. So I'm thinking, we're in GOOD shape based on these little rallies.

[AndyP]

1. Any pictures of the rally in Clevland?

[girl gone mad]

4. Here.

more in this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1264780

[Gasolinedream]

16. I was there...

with my wife, my best friend, and my sister.

It was awesome!!!!

Anybody know how many people were there? I heard at least 60,000.

[BootinUp]

5. I think this was from Cleveland.

[BayStateBoy]

2. Repukes Have Undertaken a Massive Grassroots Effort

One strategist said that after most every Bush rally, they would load the people into buses and bus them out into the communities. While perhaps not up to Democratic levels, they may well be formidable this year in the get out the vote effort.

[progressivebydesign]

3. How could we find buses for 100K+ at a time?

Works for Bush.. he has so few.

[Tansy_Gold]

9. They ain't knockin' on doors at 10 pm.

Not unless they wanna be lookin' down the business end of . . . well, some kind of firearm.


Tansy Gold, who knows nuthin' about guns

[central scrutinizer]

11. don't forget the voter guides distributed in the fundie

churches - that is one of their most effective (and illegal) tools.

[intheflow]

17. Handing out voter guides in church is illegal but lists

of a candidate's voting record is perfectly legal.

I'm training to be a minister. I know.

[demgrrrll]

14. Maybe, but a lot of this is catch up work in states they thought they had

in their column. That is all I am going to say.

[fugop]

6. Just look at the candidates themselves

Is it just me? I think Kerry looks so energized in every appearance today, while Bush just looks like he's at the end of his rope. I, too, wonder if their internals have told them what's going to happen tomorrow. I'd like to think that's true so I can sleep!

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Kerry look great in Cleveland

I remarked to my wife that he looked really, really upbeat, happy, confident, and ...... well ...... comfortable. Similing ..... maybe even beaming.

I agree. I think his internals are all good news.

[TimeToGo]

7. I think so too

but historically big crowds at the end are not necessarily indicative of a win. Still, I do feel what you are saying is true, and I don't think I will sleep for the next 36 hours hoping you are right!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

8. How confident are they?

See, I see their flabby ending as a sign that they've got their stealing-votes mechanisms in place, and they're not worried at all. That's my nightmare scenario.

In my best moments, I know Kerry's going to win big. But, these thieving bastards have had four years to streamline their techniques. Fortunately, we've got a zillion lawyers out there, but, you know, those Diebold machines make me nervous.

A computer whiz friend of mine said the machines are easily hacked. He said it would be most interesting if the machines were hacked by both sides and came back with 90% votes for both Kerry AND Bush.

Wouldn't that be fun?

I don't care how long a recount or legal challenges would take - I would expect John Kerry to wait it out and keep his foot on the back of George Bush's neck.

I have no idea how I'm gonna get through tomorrow ............

[NightOwwl]

12. Holy crap...

Check Bush out. He KNOWS he lost.

(MSNBC just played a quick clip of his "rally." Heh...Ron Reagan says, "we don't need to show much of this, it's not very interesting.")

[Captain Lance Bass]

13. 200,000+ ?????? c'mon

sounds like "one of those...exzagerations":-)

[RunningFromCongress]

15. Yeah, I'm thinking 50,000 maybe 60,000 but not 100+