2/2
The few complaints I heard as the wait rolled out were delivered in a good-natured way. Everyone was polite. Though the crowd was probably 95-98% white (It was a GOP event in a 90% white county, so this was not particularly surprising)there was no hint of ethnic identity politicsin any of the conversations I had—rather it was a celebration of an Americaand a unironic patriotism that has disappeared from most venues in our country. In most places, there would have been frayed tempers as the wait dragged on for hours with no explanation.
Instead these people, many of whom have seen their country “fundamentally transformed” —to quote Obama, and their core values as Americans challenged and upended,willingly endured with tremendous patience the long wait to see their fighter— their man in the arena.
The rally itself was held in the 2nd largest indoor arena in the Montana(they squeezed in about 10,000—well over capacity— by putting seating on the basketball court)—
Another 8,000or so who couldn’t make it in the arena itself watched on Jumbotrons outside.
Trump was Trump in all ways both good and imperfect.He entered to the strains of Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA (the embedded video I took will give you some sense of the enthusiasm of the crowd).
He knows how to connect with his audience effortlessly and sincerely. He rambles and repeats himself, but most of the attendees didn’t care.
He gave some genuine appreciation of Montana’s natural beauty (He got to see a lot of it after having to drive 140 miles from Billings to get to the rally site when his plane made an emergency landing).He joked (accurately) about everything in Montana being “about two hours away” from wherever you happened to be.He was effective and ruthless in going after Jon Tester, the main target of the rally.
Tim Sheehy, the businessman and former Navy SEALwhom I think will defeat Tester in Montana’s Senate race, was polished in his presentation.
Trump had come not because Montana is in play, but to put Sheehy over the top in the Senate race. He handled all of the local dignitaries like a pro.
All in all, despite the long wait, my son and I were both very glad that we went.
Here in flyover country— these were the people who put food on the table, who haul things back and forth, who fight in our wars— they are the people who have kept America itself together.
They are perhaps “fools” for being the only Americans still trying to play by the rules of the game.
Meanwhile, in many of our cities, the basic rules of fair play have vanished entirely, I tried to imagine concertgoers at an urban— or even a suburban— concert behaving themselves in this way while waiting for hours, and the very idea was laughable. The entire mood, with its retro music and even more retro demographics, was certainly a far cry from the Harris campaign’s twerktacular in Atlanta with Megan Thee Stallion about ten days earlier.
So perhaps I was here with my fellow fools, but at least, while the country crumbles around us, we were all momentarily enjoying ourselves in our foolishness.
Or as the Bible says:
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,“He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” (1 Conrinthians 3:18-20)
Maybe what America needs are “fools” like these.
So send in the clowns. We could use a lot more of them.
https://jeremycarl.substack.com/p/send-in-the-clowns