At least in this post, I’m not advocating for any particular political position; I mean for this to be a more generalized discussion.
I have never understood what prompts people to attend political rallies. None of the current US political candidates 100% align with my views, but I am very confident that I made the right choice in who I voted for. That is to say, I’d consider myself a strong supporter of [name here].
To me, it feels like attending a political rally is like attending a college lecture. You have a person giving you information, but you don’t gain anything by hearing it in-person as opposed to reading it or watching a recording. If I want to learn something, it’s much more comfortable for me to read and article or watch a video in the comfort of my own home. If I want to understand what a political candidate stands for, I’d much rather watch a recording of a town-hall meeting or read something she (oops) wrote rather than taking the time to drive to a rally, get packed in with a bunch of other people, and simply stand and listen.
I understand concerts. Hearing live music sounds vastly different than listening to a recording. Same with movies; most of us don’t have an IMAX theater at home. When you’re trying to gather information, though, what’s the draw in standing outside in a crowd at listening to it in person?
Obama visited my kids high school and my family went. My husband shook his hand and told him good luck. We were all really excited to see him speak and answer a few questions.
The chance to see a future or sitting president and shake their hand is pretty incredible. Depends if you like their politics, obviously.
Once, as a teenager in the 90s, I walked into the Capitol building and, seeing a scrum of VIPs and reporters, barged my way through and shook hands with Bob Dole (the Republican beaten by Bill Clinton in 1996). I was a tourist, I’m not even American.
The openness of America’s political system is special. You should protect it.
It’s a shame that things became this way. In a properly functioning democracy we would respect elected leaders, if only because we respect the office that they temporarily hold.