The rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was supposed to lift Donald Trump's mood and make him put his head back in the game will probably have the opposite effect. In a state that is deeply red, in a city of almost one million people, in an arena that seats 19,000 people, he drew a smallish crowd of 6,200 spectators, according to the official Fire Department head count. The lower sections of the arena were reasonably full, but most of the balcony seats were empty. As an ironic reminder of where the polls are pointing, all those empty seats were blue.
The organisers had prepared a large overflow area outside, with a stage that had scheduled speeches from both Trump and Pence, but it was never used, and it ended up being dismantled even before the event was over.
The Donald Trump reelection campaign blamed the poor attendance on protestors blocking people from entry, but there were no protestors to speak of, police stopped what few there were from interfering with those seeking to enter, and it appears that nobody was turned away or prevented from attending.
Donald Trump threw a rally, and nobody cared. Now we just have to wait and see how many new cases of Covid-19 that will result from 6,200 supposedly adoring Trump fans gathering without masks or proper distancing for several hours. Attendees even had to sign a waiver and promise not to sue if they get sick.
Add to this that Trump managed to sound completely incoherent and out of touch with reality during his speech, and you have a disaster. This will drive his approval rating even lower, making him the most unpopular US president in history.
This is all a big farce, of the kind that isn't funny but just leaves you with a bitter taste in your mouth. I prefer not to watch those, but this is real, and I can't look away.
