Campaign 2024: A Tale of Two Rallies

With so many twists and turns, this presidential campaign is unlike any other: the incumbent president dropping out and endorsing his vice president; two assassination attempts against the former president; the Democratic candidate endorsed by a former Republican vice president, three former Republican members of Congress, the former Republican governor of California and Trump’s former White House chief of staff, who called his boss a “fascist.”

But when the dust settles, the whole story of this crazy 100-day roller coaster was summed up in two competing rallies: Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, and Kamala Harris on the Washington Ellipse. The contrast could not have been sharper. Nothing better displayed what’s at stake in this election. And nothing better defined the difference between the two candidates.

Trump called his night at MSG a pure “love fest.” It was just the opposite: a mass “hate fest.” It’s hard to imagine what still-undecided votes they were trying to appeal to, but the Trump campaign lined up the 17 most ugly, nasty, obscene, hate-filled people in the country – and put them on stage to spew their venom as warm-up speakers for Donald Trump.

The opening comments from so-called comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” generated the most negative publicity. But, truth be told, he wasn’t the worst. He was followed by radio host Sid Rosenberg, who first called Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff “a crappy Jew”, Hillary Clinton a “sick bastard” and then said“the whole f---king party, a bunch of degenerates, lowlives, and Jew-haters. Every one of them.”

It went downhill after that. Basically calling Kamala Harris a whore, businessman Grant Cardone warned: “Her and her pimp handlers will destroy our country.” Adopting the motto of the Ku Klux Klan, Trump immigration adviser Stephen Miller said “America is for Americans and Americans only.” And former Fox News host Tucker Carlson mocked the idea that Kamala Harris might make history as “the first Samoan-Malaysian, low IQ former California prosecutor ever to be elected president.”

Shortly after the rally, the Trump campaign insisted Trump himself did not agree that Puerto Rico was “garbage.” But to this date, neither Trump himself nor his hapless running mate J.D. Vance has condemned or apologized for any of the racist, hateful remarks made by any speaker. Mainly because they only echo the ugly, racist, misogynist rhetoric we hear from Trump every time he opens his mouth.

If Madison Square Garden was all gloom and doom, the Ellipse was all hope and joy. Kamala Harris was the only speaker. She walked out with a huge, winning smile. She exuded confidence and optimism. She looked like a winner. She gave an excellent speech in an iconic setting, with the White House looming over her shoulder. And, much to Trump’s dismay, she attracted a crowd of 75,000 people – by far the largest rally of the 2024 campaign, all of whom stayed to the very end.

Harris had two goals: to paint Donald Trump as the existential threat he is, and to portray herself as the best person with the best ideas to lead this country forward. Mission accomplished!

She began by reminding everyone of the last big speech on the Ellipse, on January 6, when Donald Trump urged his followers to storm the Capitol, did nothing to stop the violence, and now wants to pardon those criminals convicted for taking part in it. “This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and out for unchecked power,” she warned the crowd.

Trump’s spent the last decade “trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other,” she continued. “That’s who he is. But, America, I am here tonight to say to you: That is not who we are!”

Then Harris masterfully laid out the choice facing voters. In less than 90 days, she pointed out, one of us will be in the Oval Office. “Donald Trump would walk into that office with an enemies list. When elected, I will walk in with a to-do list, full of priorities of what I will get done for the American people.” She then laid out her specific goals on everything from housing to immigration to the price of groceries.

Contrast the two rallies. This election boils down to a clear choice between lies or truth, darkness or light, fear or hope, gloom or joy, past or future, unfit or fit. The survival of our democracy depends on our making the right choice.

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(Bill Press is host of The BillPressPod, and author of 10 books, including: “From the Left: My Life in the Crossfire.” His email address is: bill@billpress.com. Readers may also follow him on Twitter @billpresspod.)