« Doddnovations | Main | Oh Baby When She Moves, She Moves » Crowds02 Oct 2007 04:07 pm Barack Obama attracted 24,000 New Yorkers to Washington Square Park last Wednesday night. Hillary Clinton drew in 14,000 Bay Area Democrats to Oakland. What's the biggest crowd that any Republican has managed to build this year? 2,000? Is that because Republican voters aren't concentrated in cities? Or a symptom of the malaise in the party? Comments (17)
An even larger question: Has any non-incumbent President ever drawn the kinds of crowds Hillary and B-Rock are attracting during the primary campaign? I can't think of any examples that even approach the kind of enthusiasm we are seeing for the top Democratic candidates. IMO, the Clinton general election campaign is going to be breathtaking as the historical implications of electing the first female President take hold. 2008 will not only be a "change" election, but will be the mother of all change elections on a level that transcends partisan affiliations and issues-oriented politics. 
But what is 24,000 people in New York? I mean proportionally, thats not all that great. And its because Republicans have jobs and better things to do.
HWC, What is the big change that will happen if we elect Hillary Clinton? How will she be any different, in not more conservative, than Bill Clinton? I don't really buy the "female president is real change" line that Hillary supporters like to use. Her policies are what matter and they are not really going to change much in the way Washington gets run.
hwc, I think that non-incumbent Presidential candidates have gotten crowds of this size before, but usually they've already had their party's nomination. On the GOP side, they haven't had a non-incumbent primary candidate generate anything similar to Obama or HRC since Ike. Not even Reagan. For Democrats, RFK and (surprise) George Wallace probably achieved Obama-ish crowd levels at their height.
Alex-- you've got to be kidding me. So sad. 1. Republicans are too busy watching FOX. Is that something "better to do"? 2. You don't compare the crowd to the population, you compare it to crowds in years past for both parties. You must be anxiously awaiting Fox Business.
24,000 people in the political dead state of New York is a very good crowd, to be fair. On the other hand, Obama is the biggest media creature since Al Gore. And look what Al Gore's job is now?
How many did Howard Dean draw? Crowds don't really mean much, and intellectually you obviously know that, Marc. Democrats will always outdraw Republicans; that's just the way it is. All that said -- the GOP nominee is still a big underdog right now.
Yeah, I've found some references on the NYTIMES archives to Lyndon Johnson and others drawing rally crowds of 18,000...but these were all October/November rallies right before the general election. Nothing big popped up for Robert Kennedy, but you are right -- he would be a good candidate to research. I don't believe New Hampshire has ever seen rallies the size of the two Labor Day rallies (4500 in Concord and 5000 in Portsmouth). In reading all the campaign histories back to the 1960's, I've never read about candidates drawing these crowds before the first primary. It's quite amazing. I've yet to hear of any of the Republican candidates doing large rallies. They are still working VFW lodges and lunch counters for the most part. Outdoor rallies draw a few hundred.
Peter:
Peter, New York may be dead for the Republicans, but it's definitely not dead for the Democrats. And Alex, I work on Wall Street and still managed to make it up to Washington Square Park to see Obama speak. I guess both of you are showing why social and business conservatives are leaving your party in droves.
Could be that Republicans are busy, y'know, working actual jobs.
I agree with Alex and Megan. Republicans have better things to do than future of the country like.. * taking wide stance in the public bathrooms looking for gay sex YES, Alex and Megan are absolutely right that republicans have better things to do.
One more needs to be added: republicans are busy screwing America royally and hence do not have any time on hand.
It's good to see that the average liberal isn't bitter about his inability to contribute anything to the economy!
It's good to see the average conservative can't read, as evident by Megan's post right after mine.
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Any reason for people to come and listen to republican dimwits like Thomson, Giuliani, Romney, McCain who are all Bush version 2.0?
Posted by michale | October 2, 2007 4:38 PM