President Trump’s NJ rally, and what it portends for the coming election

By now, you all know that the turnout at President Donald Trump’s rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, was one for the record books. However, that didn’t occur in a vacuum. It is, instead, a portent of a tide strongly turning in his direction. That doesn’t mean Democrat shenanigans won’t cause trouble in November, but it does show a country ready to abandon Biden’s disastrous presidency.

The estimates are that 80,000 to 100,000 people attended the rally, although, naturally, leftists are already quibbling with the numbers, just as they did on Trump’s inauguration. Ignore those quibbles. Let your eyes tell you that the turnout in New Jersey—New Jersey!—was humongous:

That kind of enthusiasm is money in the bank for a candidate. In 2016, I recall that Mark Steyn predicted that Donald Trump would win the election because of what he saw when he attended a rally in Vermont. The people who attend rallies also cast votes and, if they can, donate money. We saw that during Obama’s 2008 run although Thomas Lifson has reminded me that Obama couldn’t gin up that enthusiasm a second time around, in 2012.

This wasn’t the first Trump rally in Wildwood. He had a large rally there in 2020, too. But, Wildwood is in South Jersey (closer to PA) in a Republican county that Trump won twice. Unfortunately, South Jersey doesn’t determine the election. North Jersey (near NYC) has a larger population, and they tend to vote Democrat. For that reason, I’d be surprised if Trump wins the state. Nevertheless, this rally was important, not only for the optics, but also because nearby PA may be winnable.

"How many tickets were issued? That should give us a valid figure."

Many people are questioning the number - even Fox News. So, I tried to find more information. One article said that, as of Wednesday (3 days before the rally), 20,000 tickets had been requested, and the venue can hold up to 40,000 people.

IMO, 20,000 or more is a large enough crowd. No need to exaggerate it.

But, the Wildwood mayor is saying the 80,000 estimate is based on everyone who visited Wildwood that day, including the people who didn't enter the beach rally.

Source
Troiano said the 80,000 estimate includes everyone in front of Trump on stage as well as everyone who came into the city to be part of the day but never made it to the rally, plus the people on the boardwalk and along Trump's motorcade route.

JMHO - I don't know whether the mayor's estimate is correct, but he would be right to count everyone in WW that day. Many people visit WW in the summertime, but May 11 is too early in the season. Boardwalk shops opened that day to make money from the Trump rally by selling Trump merchandise. So, most of the people in WW that day must've been there to see or hear Trump. Maybe not everyone wanted to stand on the beach in chilly weather with the sand blowing around. Many people probably took a ride there to catch a glimpse or listen to him speak while they strolled on the boardwalk, just to be part of it all.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.