John LeFevre
Jun. 22, 2016, 7:16 AM
Though traditionally Cruz Country, The Woodlands, Texas, (home of ExxonMobil) is a fairly safe space for Trump. Across the street from the rally venue is a Tommy Bahama, Tiffany & Co., Brooks Brothers, and Vineyard Vines, among other aspirational brands — stores where middle-class people think rich people shop.
Despite a heat advisory, the line started forming at 7 a.m., a solid 12 hours before Trump was due to speak. The atmosphere was upbeat and convivial. One woman had ordered pizzas for the people in line around her.
Four hours before the rally, the line was a mile long and growing fast.
The law-enforcement presence was strong but not at all tense. Any time a group of officers walked by a crowd of people, the crowd would break out in applause. Other supporters were handing out water to cops, EMTs, and support staff.
There were at least a dozen pop-up vendors. And despite what they say on MSNBC, I didn't see a single Confederate flag.
Morton's Grille (a block away) was like the dining car of the Trump Train — filled with supporters in "Make America Great Again" hats and golf shirts.
This kid got a rousing applause when he unveiled his shirt to the crowd.
This Bernie supporter made the switch to Trump, he said, because "the system is rigged."
One woman at the bar told me she didn't have to wait in line because she was "with the Huntsmans."
Without any prior arrangements, after a quick introduction to the media team I was given a press pass and priority access.
The doors opened three hours before the main event. Again, the atmosphere was calm and welcoming. Staffers were looking out for the elderly and infirm, ushering them through the media entrance (along with veterans).
Most people entering the ballroom had the look of an 8-year-old kid going to their first baseball game.
Notwithstanding what I've read about Trump supporters being angry and disenfranchised, there was no anger here. Still, no real sign of protesters.
This woman brought multiple signs she had made to augment the presence of fellow agitators. They seemed to congregate around the TV cameras.
This woman was asked to substantiate her racism claim. It appeared that her talking points consisted primarily of Huffington Post headlines.
What's the correlation coefficient between making great coffee and having ear gauges?
The discourse was mostly civil. Here, a young woman is being challenged on Hillary's foreign-policy record.
It's quite rare to see Reddit memes in the wild, especially in Texas.
Props for creativity, not so much for the execution.
The crowd was chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A" or singing along to classics like "Deep in the Heart of Texas." At one point, however, they got confused when Andrea Bocelli came on over the speakers.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas gave one of the introductory speeches. The highlight for me was when he referred to Antonin Scalia as Anthony.
Trump, as expected, gave the crowd exactly what they came for.
Even as Trump was winding down, people were still lining up outside. They knew they weren't getting in but were just happy to be there.
This woman was selling Trump No. 45 jerseys. She said she came with 300 and sold out. At $60 apiece, that's $18,000.
Back to Morton's
Politics aside, I had a lot of fun. It really was inspiring, and I think even a person who doesn't support Trump would have come away with a similar experience.
I met a lot of good, hardworking people of all ages, colors, and tax brackets. The energy level, patriotism, and enthusiasm was far greater than what I had expected or seen from other rallies on TV.
After the rally, Morton's felt like a family dinner. Strangers were mingling, buying one another drinks, and sharing stories. Well, everybody except for this adorable Pentecostal man standing outside condemning Trump and Hillary supporters alike. He said he'll be voting for Jesus.
http://www.businessinsider.com/gselevator-trump-rally-nothing-expected-2016-6
